Jimmy and Stiggs

In Joe Begos latest film taken at face value, there isn’t very much more to the plot beyond down in the dumps film director Jimmy (Joe Begos) going on a drugs and booze bender as his life falls apart, gets attacked and abducted by aliens.

He then calls on his estranged best friend Stiggs (Matt Mercer) for help in case they return. Stiggs is six months sober (which went someway to causing their problems) and goes out of the window quite quickly.

What then follows is a hazy dayglo battle between them and the aliens and the two arguing about what went wrong with their friendship.

It’s an over-the-top gunge fest (at times like a macabre episode of long-gone kids Saturday morning UK TV show Tiswas) as the pair tear into the bulb headed aliens loping off limbs that profusely bleed fluorescent pink. They too get knocked about a lot with the by now obviously puppet aliens either attached to them or propelled by them either way they are hard to kill.

The film is set in one apartment with the only other people involved are Jimmy being ditched by his girlfriend Lexi (Riley Dandy) over the phone in a vicious and explicit manner, Jimmy’s agent and there are astronauts later on.

There is a fair amount of natural banter and dialogue between Jimmy and Stiggs as they try to sort out their issues while battling the aliens, which is quite entertaining.

Technically its more challenging. Shot on 16mm there’s a fair bit of close-camera work and POV which could be disorientating for the viewer, as it is set in a very confined space. As relentless and faced paced as it is the 80 odd minutes runtime might prove too much for some.

Depending on what has been consumed before this could be the perfect after the pub movie or as a solid accompaniment to more drink and drugs.

It’s worth noting that the grindhouse horror trailers at the beginning, are for Jimmy’s films and, fun as they are, go some way to explain his current situation. More pertinently they could be calling cards for Eli Roth’s new film company, The Horror Section, of which Jimmy and Stiggs is the first production.

Jimmy and Stiggs will be on UK and Ireland digital platforms from 16 February 2026 from Blue Finch Film Releasing