Repo Man (1984)

A movie about aliens, repo men, and late-stage capitalism that somehow still feels more relevant in today than it did in 1984.

Repo Man is a hardcore punk album that put on a movie suit and never took it off.

This movie is angry, surreal, anti-capitalist, and still feels shockingly relevant today. It’s got Harry Dean Stanton being perfectly deadpan, aliens, an amazing punk rock soundtrack (Black Flag, Iggy Pop, Circle Jerks), and a middle finger pointed directly at Reagan’s America that hasn’t lowered in 40 years.

I love this movie. I’ve seen it a million times and I will see it a million more times. It never gets old because it tapped into something essential about what it feels like to be on the outskirts of society, trying to scrape together a living while being squeezed out by forces you can’t control.

What’s wild is how much this movie anticipated the disillusionment modern-day gig workers feel. Otto is basically doing DoorDash before DoorDash existed - taking shitty jobs, getting exploited, barely making rent, all while being told he should be grateful for the “opportunity.” The repo game is the gig economy in its purest, most dystopian form. No benefits, no security, just hustle until you burn out or get shot.

The anti-Reagan politics still hit hard. The bland suburbia, the government conspiracy, the commodification of everything, the feeling that society has been sold off piece by piece to the highest bidder while everyone’s too distracted to care. This movie saw where we were headed and decided to make a surreal satire about it.

And it’s funny as hell. Deadpan, weird, absurdist humor that never undercuts the anger. The movie is pissed off but it’s also having fun being pissed off, which is very punk rock.

Incredible satire. One of the best films of the 80s. Essential viewing.

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