Perfect, Unrated Comedy Will Set You Ablaze

By Robert Scucci
| Published 1 hour ago

When a stand-up comedian continually bombs on stage but lacks the self-awareness to try something different with their life, you get films like 2012’s Ape. A near-perfect character study you’ve probably never heard of, Ape takes a trip into the looney pool as its protagonist, Trevor (Joshua Burge), refuses to get a regular job, realizes he has a penchant for blowing stuff up, and competes with other open micers who not only steal his jokes but deliver the worst Sylvester Stallone impersonations you’ve ever seen.

Ape is a low-budget black comedy about a man who refuses to quit even when every outside influence is telling him to do so, resulting in a downward spiral that involves haggling over $.99 convenience store slushies, making a deal with the devil for an apple after an awkward bus ride, and the sneaking suspicion that a man in a gorilla costume is following him wherever he goes.

From Jokes To Rage

Down on his luck and on the verge of having his cable shut off, Trevor lives a miserable life. He can’t get asses in seats at the local comedy club, prompting the owner to constantly bump his set or lower his already meager pay. He rehearses his material in front of his mirror, and his jokes are terrible. The best setup in his act involves marveling at how fast his new microwave can cook food, and the punchline suggests that if he climbs inside it, he could also read faster. Move over, Mitch Hedberg. Trevor’s the new kid on the block, and he’s not going down without a fight.

Barely able to afford food and without a penny to his name, Trevor spends his days lighting things on fire in his apartment and eating whatever cheap TV dinners he can get his hands on. The only friend he has is fellow comedian Dennis Spicer (Gary Bosek), and their relationship is antagonistic at best. In fact, Trevor once “sold” a batch of jokes to Dennis, which did neither of them any favors. Dennis never paid Trevor for the material, and the jokes predictably bombed because they’re all like that microwave bit I already mentioned.

As Trevor’s life continues its steady descent, he slowly loses his grip on reality. Instead of lighting tissues on fire in his apartment, he starts setting fires on the street. He begins carrying a baseball bat wherever he goes. He makes a deal with the devil, who turns out to be a guy in a devil costume operating a fruit stand that only sells vegetables, for reasons that are never explained.

Despite all this, Trevor refuses to quit because he needs to fulfill his lifelong dream of not having a real job. If only his comedy weren’t so terrible.

A Pyromaniac’s Fantasy

Reportedly filmed for under $5,000, Ape is about as low-budget as it gets. For a frame of reference, you can check out 2019’s Relaxer, also starring Joshua Burge and written and directed by Joel Potrykus. What’s great about Ape is that it doesn’t need a huge budget to pull off what it’s trying to accomplish. It’s a simple story about one man who refuses to give up even though it’s painfully clear he doesn’t have what it takes to become a successful comedian, or even an unsuccessful one. The fun comes from watching him tirelessly refine his “jokes” while the giant Steve Martin poster in his apartment seems to exist solely to mock him.

Whether you want to laugh at somebody else’s expense or watch the world burn, Ape is currently streaming for free on Tubi as of this writing.