EBONY & IVORY -- An Absurdist Comedy That is Equal Parts Funny and Insufferable

Review by Camden Ferrell

Ebony & Ivory is a movie that can be described as challenging. It doesn’t challenge your intellect or understanding of the world, but it challenges your patience. That seems to be the intent of writer and director of Jim Hosking, who most notably made the 2016 film The Greasy Strangler. His newest movie had its premiere at the 2024 Fantastic Fest, which is the largest genre festival in the U.S. This movie is a non-stop barrage of absurdist humor and gags that first excel and then suffer greatly in its repetition.

Two musical legends, Paul and Stevie (although their real-life counterparts might oppose their depiction), meet together at  Scottish Cottage to discuss a collaboration. While this suggests the promise of musical creation and the intermingling of two unique musical voices, the movie delivers on anything but that. What we see is a confusing, sometimes hilarious, but always annoying comedy about two musicians doing inane things in drawn out fashion. Those familiar with Hosking’s work might understand what I’m trying to say, but others will just have to watch it since there’s no easy way to describe what happens in this movie.

Hosking’s script has its shining moments. There are some comedic bits and gags that are funny in moderation but end up reappearing like a rash. What’s funny for forty minutes is often not particularly funny for ninety minutes. The movie has funny moments that work in small doses, but his humor gets old quite quickly. However, if there’s one thing I can commend, it’s Hosking’s ability to up the ante with every successive scene. Never at any point did I think the movie was dull. It fully committed to its absurd humor and even approaches gross out territory more than once.

This movie is led by Sky Elobar and Gil Gex as Paul and Stevie, respectively. With Hosking’s material being demanding, absurd, and gross, both of these actors would need to be fiercely dedicated for this movie to have a chance at success. Elobar and Gex are clearly committed to the insanity of their roles from the very first moment, and if the movie doesn’t work, it’s not the fault of these leading men. They nail the line delivery and the repetitive gag humor, and it honestly is what makes some of these gags worth it even when they get repetitive and boring. It’s not often you’ll see two men dress as sheep while defecating and still have that only scrape the tip of the iceberg in terms of weirdness.

This is going to be a polarizing movie. There’s nothing you can do to prime yourself to like it. It seems like you’re either on the movie’s wavelength from the start or not. I can see this being someone’s least favorite movie of the year, and I can also see it being someone’s favorite. But I don’t think anyone can accuse this movie of lacking a strong creative vision. Hosking works with a (seemingly) small budget, simple premise, and delivers a piece of cinema that is memorable if nothing else.

Ebony & Ivory is very likely not what happened when these two musicians came together, but it may or may not be more interesting. This is a piece of cinema that aims to displease, and it works to confusing effect. There are times where I didn’t know if I should be annoyed, laughing, or both. It doesn’t work nearly as much as I wanted it to, but I can understand why some people really enjoy Hosking and his style of storytelling.

Ebony & Ivory is in theaters August 8.

Rating: 2.5/5