Posted on: August 20, 2011 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Like a cross between an 80’s American sex romp comedy and Waking Ned Devine, Zonad sounds dreadful on paper. An alcoholic runaway from a rehab hospital, clad in a red leather jumpsuit with a goofy helmet on his head is found in the home of a simpleton family in a small Irish town and the stranger manages to convince everyone that he’s an alien. Oh, and the family has a hot teenage daughter who’s sexual frustrated. Sounds like one of those B movies the USA network used to show late at night.

It’s pretty surprising to find out then that it was written and directed by brothers John and Kieran Carney (John won an Oscar for the fantastic Once). Even more surprising is how much fun the movie turns out to be, once you embrace it for what it is – a silly comedy about outrageous misunderstandings.

Not to give too much away, but Liam (“the alien”), having been embraced by the town willing to share its booze, is joined by a fellow escapee who tries to replace Liam as the town’s latest curiosity, culminating in a drug-fueled boxing match.

Odd? Yup; Low-brow? Definitely; Funny? You bet.

Zonad/75 Mins./1 DVDs/MPI Media Group/2011

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