SXSW 2022 | MOVIE REVIEW: "The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks" Sets Its Subjects Up for an Exciting Return

10/12 ForReel Score | 4/5 Stars

As a documentary recently acquired by Amazon, The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks serves as a precursor to the legendary Canadian sketch show’s upcoming reboot, also slated for an Amazon release. On paper, this might make director Reginald (Reg) Harkema’s effort sound like a contractual obligation, or a puff piece, but after ten minutes with this film, it becomes clear that Comedy Punks is anything but. This rollicking documentary is a thorough and touching tribute to the outsider comedy troupe; one sure to please long-time fans and wake up the unaware to what they’ve been missing.

Charting the quintessentially Canadian quintet’s unique course through the entertainment industry, Comedy Punks covers what feels like nearly the entire story, from the unassuming origins in post-secondary improv clubs, to the big stage reunion shows. The fellows were known for their self-titled, Lorne Michaels-produced comedy series that aired on HBO between 1989 and 1996 and lasted five seasons, but this documentary paints a broader and less expected overview. While the Kids haven’t been around for as long as, say, SNL—impossible, as they’ve never swapped out members for younger generations—their almost four decades of existence are a testament to their dedication. Their eccentric edge and their damning “Canadianness” have always been apparent, but these facets are not dwelled on as impediments; rather, they are poured over, celebrated. Even if you’re inclined to dismiss the Kids as oddball or esoteric, it is undeniable that they have persevered admirably, and with grace. Comedy Punks is a story of frustrations and failures, but it is not a story of giving up.

Director Herkema was a force behind the much-praised Super Duper Alice Cooper, and his latest is equally rapturous in how it paints its adoration for its idols. His commitment to harnessing archival footage remains—even when the footage is low grade and near unintelligible—and this time around, his subjects are ready and willing to lend themselves for brand new interview footage. Kevin, Scott, Bruce, Dave, and Mark are all present, and all looking good—energized, optimistic, and as dedicated as ever. It is clear that they are eager to take viewers through their history, as well as reintroduce themselves to the uninitiated. Both these approaches will help them tee-up their new reboot nicely.

Though it covers a lot of ground, Comedy Punks moves briskly, and never gets bogged down in one aspect of the guys’ story. Rather than elaborate on each of the Kids’ childhoods, for example, we are instead told of the common thread that helped each of the Kids find comedy in the first place: their alcoholic fathers. Tense home situations, as they explain, are what led them to becoming more perceptive, more empathetic, and more likely to use comedy’s defense mechanisms. Moments like these don’t serve to bring heaviness into the film, per se, but they do help it feel grounded, and they help us empathize. Only when the Kids begin to recall Scott Thompson’s battle with cancer do emotions well, and rightly so. Thompson’s openly queer characters have defined much of The Kids in the Hall’s oeuvre, but the actor has struggled with a the spectre of death his whole life, whether it was the flashbacks of the school shooting he survived, the AIDS crisis of the 90s, his brother’s suicide, or his eventual bout with cancer.

That Thompson’s diagnosis came around the time the troupe began production on their mini-series, Death Comes to Town, gives the Kids’ story some degree of irony. But, as the fellows maintain, “death is the final punch line,” and everything that comes before it can be a source of comedy. This has allowed them to stare down death and plumb everything that precedes it for maximum laughs, every mundane or taboo subject. The Kids in the Hall’s unique brand of humour works in that it is unafraid to touch crass or explicit matters, but also in that it is able to subvert the most blandly suburban of topics. The Kids in the Hall work because they will continue pursuing these laughs until their dying days.

I only had a basic knowledge of the Kids and their work before going into Harkema’s documentary. I had seen a good handful of episodes from their original HBO series, but I’ve never felt apart of that fiercely devout cult following that the Kids inspired. Thankfully, Comedy Punks proves adept at making the Kids more accessible, providing a rich and spirited context, and injecting in you the desire to seek more, more episodes of their acclaimed series, more of their films, or more of their stand-up clips on YouTube. It’s all out there, and with the reboot approaching, there is most assuredly more on the way. 30 Helens agree: you need to be there.