Ape

Year: 2012
Country: USA
Run Time: 86 minutes

Trevor Newandyke isn't very funny. This is rather unfortunate since he longs to be a stand-up comedian. He spends most of his days frustratingly reciting his routines in the mirror. The crowds at the local comedy club rarely laugh during his rambled sets and, to avoid embarrassment, the owner constantly bumps him when scouts or known comics stop by. Trevor wastes most of his time amusing himself by setting things on fire. He also finds joy in graffiti and putting fireworks in people's mailboxes. One day he meets a strange man who is dressed as the devil and selling fruit. Trevor makes a deal with him, trading a joke for an apple. After eating it, Trevor becomes extremely irritable, yet also uncharacteristically confident and outspoken. This new combination actually makes him funny and the audiences begin to laugh. Soon, though, he'll come to realize that this all comes at a pretty big cost. APE follows one slacker's bizarre and dangerous quest for laughter. – E.F.

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