Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls (2023) October 19th, 2023

Movies based on popular YouTube characters like FRED: The Movie or Miranda Sings: Self Help are obnoxiously repulsive to me. I don’t know which to expect first, being run down by their tired premises or going deaf from the intense volume of their one note jokes. These films are usually best suited for the deep discount bin at a thrift store where only the mentally decrepit might pick them up in a slack-jawed fit of wanderlust. Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls is one such internet-based-crowd-funded indie movie, so what’s the difference between it and the other aforementioned runny dumps? They weren’t Sundance official selections, and we didn’t donate to their kickstarters.

That’s right! When we heard Andrew Bowser, the creative force behind Onyx, was crowdfunding a feature based on his weirdly beloved character my wife jumped to the computer and pledged to help bring it to life. Sometimes crowdfunding a movie can turn out horribly with projects stagnating after getting fully funded leaving the backers with holding nothing but their ticket stubs (you don’t say?). Thankfully this situation couldn’t be further from those catastrophes.

Not only did the crowdsourcing campaign fully fund Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, but the creative team behind the film created a plucky horror-comedy that homages the best horror comedies of the 1980s. Mix the awkward leading man with a love for puppetry from Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, mix it with the graveyard ascetic and penchant for puns from Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, and add the foul mouthed dick jokes from Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny and you get the movie Andrew Bowser set out to make. His actual inspiration melange was probably different (Big Trouble in Little China?) but those are the comparisons I’d make after thoroughly enjoying the final film.

Our titular character leads an unsatisfying life living with his mom and stepdad while picking up extra shifts at a burger joint. That was before he won a contest for the chance to spend the night with his favorite celebrity satanist Bartok the Great played by the incomparable Jeffrey Combs who nails a perfectly arch performance. Things aren’t as they seem once Onyx and the other contest winners arrive as time reveals the dark purpose of the contest. Sneaking around hidden passageways, peeking through portrait eye-holes, and opening a portal to hell follow as Onyx ventures forth on his journey to become The Fortuitous One and reap the greatest treasure of them all, the friends he made along the way.

I get that cheesy jokes and elaborate practical effects aren’t for everyone but they are for me. What Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls has for everyone is quality filmmaking that elevates the material beyond the familiar and expected jokes we’ve already seen online, to new emotional depth of poignant pathos exploring heartbreaking loneliness and abandonment. Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls does all of that while being fiercely committed to the bit, not once sacrificing the over the top vision for the sake of a wider appeal to more mainstream tastes. Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls is the epitome of punk-rock filmmaking, fearlessly leaning into the most absurd sequences of gore and hilarity (think Bat Out of Hell).

Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls might be one of those rare nearly perfect films, only falling short for lacking Brad Dourif in an appropriately small and tailor made cameo opportunity. As a nearly perfect film it is my duty to recommend it to everyone. Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls is for fans of The Monster Squad, the Bill and Ted films, and movies in general. I fully appreciate that I came to this film predisposed to liking it as a fan of the Andrew Bowser’s viral videos and I can appreciate this style of humor isn’t for everyone, but I hope those people would still understand and appreciate the quality of the filmmaking and respect its monumental achievement of crowdfunding, writing, and producing a film exactly as envisioned.

We were so lucky to see Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls on the big screen during its one night only Fathom Events showing. As backers we’re supposed to receive a physical media copy at some point but I’m incredibly grateful we didn’t wait. Now I can look forward to seeing it again and again at home.