Exterminators

Narrative Feature, Lone Star States
D: John Inwood; with Heather Graham, Jennifer Coolidge, Amber Heard

This black comedy, filmed in and around Austin, succeeds thanks to the delightful performance of Coolidge as Stella, one of several disparate women who meet in a court-appointed anger-management class. The women have one thing in common: Their no-good men have pushed them over the edge. After witnessing one of their classmates slapped around by her abusive husband, Stella relapses in a big way, making classmates Alex (Graham) and Nikki (Heard) unintentional accomplices. But there’s an upside to anger, the women decide. Using Stella’s extermination business as a cover, Stella and Nikki set about helping other women “take care” of the men who’ve wronged them. A few weak narrative threads interfere with what could be a truly absurdist comedy, but the premiere’s audience didn’t seem to care about that as much as they did relishing a revenge fantasy that gives new meaning to the term pest control.

Thursday, March 19, 10pm, Alamo South Lamar

This article appears in March 20 • 2009.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US