INFINITY BABY: Uniquely Unapologetic

From actor/director Bob Byington, comes his new comedy Infinity Baby. The title comes from the company at the center of the film, in which all the characters orbit. This business, that took on the responsibility of doling out preserved babies after stem cell research accidentally froze their growth, is headed by CEO Neo played by Nick Offerman. Offerman does his usual deadpan stare throughout, giving away nothing, even when delivering convincing lines about the occasional necessity of dying babies.

Of course, these ones don’t, and therein lies the charm of Infinity Baby.

“That’s A Good Question- If You Are Dead, Are You Still Home?”

Our main character is Ben, played pretentiously by the talented Kieran Culkin. He’s the nephew of Neo and manager at the company. The emotionally stunted and somewhat misogynistic Ben can’t maintain a relationship, though he claims he loves women. His issue? They eventually mention marriage or children.

When things take that incomprehensible turn, he goes to Hester (Megan Mullaly), a woman whom he pays to be his hard to please mother. In what should be an exciting and hopeful progression (for the girl), becomes a clean and easy break up for Ben. After all, his mother’s opinion is incredibly important.

He is then free to proceed to another date, sometimes immediately after. Here enters Alison, played by the charismatic Trieste Kelly Dunn. Despite mentally noting her imperfections within the first meet, months pass while at least one side falls in love.

Meanwhile the other is already setting up a meet with his “mother.”This one doesn’t go quite as planned, and it’s one of the most satisfying turns in the film.

“You Can’t Appreciate Happiness Without Experiencing Bleakness.”

Ben is manager to Malcolm (Martin Starr) and Larry (Kevin Corrigan). The two are friends (and poor employees) who constantly bicker in often hilarious and random ways. Corrigan is wonderfully cynical, and he says what he thinks no matter how inappropriate. His tangents are some of the funniest dialogue in the film. Starr, more simple but equally entertaining, is his other half.

These perma-babies never cry or do much more than sleep or coo (this is a selling point for consumers). They are sustained, though they never age, by giving pills weekly to nourish them and to constipate them. That way, of course, one only needs to change the diaper once a week. Absurd? Yes. Is this a bad thing? No.

If someone takes this task on, they get twenty thousand dollars. When one of their potential clients doesn’t bite, Malcolm and Larry decide to extort the money by holding on to the child themselves under the guise that it was given away. They keep the money, and plan to return the infant after a few months. No harm done.

Until, of course, the two gripe about their responsibilities and decide to fiddle with the medication.

All three of these characters are essentially babies in their own right, unchanging and stunted. Ben doesn’t want commitment, and will bail on a girl for as little as laughing too much (makes for hilarious commentary though). Larry is an alcoholic, bent on seeming miserable, but refusing to change. Malcolm lets Larry decide everything, lacking participation in his own life. In the end only one of the three experiences any growth.

Infinity Baby: In Conclusion

There are some pitfalls with scenes that could benefit from more depth, and others that could be nixed completely (an unfortunate baby poop fiasco) but none that are detrimental to the final product. All of the actors involved hit their mark.

The skillfully obtuse Infinity Baby withdraws from a usual comic routine and commits to its outrageous nature wholeheartedly. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and with a mere 70 minute runtime, it doesn’t waste any. The film even celebrates how dislikable the characters are. Written by Onur Tukel, the script is blunt and sometimes even mean, but never boring.

With the choice to present the story in black and white the film offers a unique perspective. It gives it an almost clinical feel, and provided the subject, it was the right choice. Reminiscent of Kevin Smith’s Clerks, this also focuses on the dialogue of everyday, snarky people.

I can’t say I love Infinity Baby, and I’m not sure I’m supposed to. There wasn’t any significant emotional drive, but the film successfully provoked thought and laughter. What else should it have done?

What do you think? Did you find it funny, or was it not your cup of tea? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Infinity Baby was released on September 15, 2017 to limited showings. For all international release dates, see here.