Myers’s satire on corporate culture is paired with some truly stomach-churning moments of body horror. However, its true genius lies in the grand, almost Doctor Who-like unveiling of the mysterious Symbio CEO and the dastardly plan they are enacting. With some cracking practical effects and engaging performances, you would be a fool not to take a big swig of Myers’ Kombucha.
Kombucha – a drink made by allowing sweet tea, bacteria, and yeast to ferment, that is thought to be good for your health.
We live in a world of conflicting articles, journals, and social media-led posts of what foods and drinks are healthy and what are not. Not a day goes by without a new gimmick invading our social media feeds, claiming to be ‘the solution’ to making us look young, slim and healthy. Some genuinely do have excellent properties, such as kefir and green tea, while others are simply a fad, a placebo that does nothing but strip us of our money. Often, we are oblivious to the ingredients, buying these products based on advertising, the name, or a slogan, rather than examining what we are actually digesting. So, if you think about it, if someone wanted to control or even change the human race, a well-marketed kombucha may be the best weapon. Co-written by Jake Myers and Geoff Bakken, and based on their 2023 short film of the same name, Kombucha is a sweet and tasty horror about just such a diabolical plan.
In a high-rise office block overlooking the city, Symbio churns out its trending bright orange kombucha, a product that not only boosts the productivity of everyone who partakes in it but also boasts a mysterious culture that makes this the only drink a person will ever want to savour again. It’s clear from the opening ten minutes of Myers’ movie that Symbio hides a deadly secret in its open-plan offices, where work is life, and a love of ‘Mother’s Secret’ kombucha is rewarded with giant salaries. Still, that fatal secret is kept firmly within the grasp of a mysterious CEO and a creepy managing director, Kelsey (Claire McFadden), who lives for and loves the orange stuff!
Luke (Terrence Carey) is a struggling musician, and while he loves creating music to play in the local bars, there’s little money in it, causing friction with his partner, Elyse (Paige Bourne), who pays for everything. So, when an ex-bandmate, Andy, played by Jesse Kendall, offers him a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work for Symbio, which provides a starting salary he could only dream of, what’s to lose? The problem is Luke isn’t really keen on kombucha, but drinking the company Kool-Aid is part of the deal. So, Luke sucks it up and starts glugging, not knowing that he is about to lose himself in the process!
Talking about booze, Oscar Wilde once said, “After the first glass, you see things as you wish they were. After the second, you see things as they are not. Finally, you see things as they really are, and that is the most horrible thing in the world.” Wilde’s quote pretty much summarises the journey Luke is about to take, a journey rooted in discussions on corporate greed, corruption, and metamorphosis, while paying homage to a range of horrors, from The Faculty to Night of the Creeps, The Stuff, and The Substance.
With fantastic central performances from Carey, Bourne, McFadden and Charin Alvarez as a mother hell bent on uncovering the truth behind the death of her daughter at the hands of Symbio, Kombucha is a wickedly sharp and delightfully moreish tipple.
Myers’s satire on corporate culture is paired with some stomach-churning moments of body horror. However, its true genius lies in the grand, almost Doctor Who-like unveiling of the mysterious Symbio CEO and the dastardly plan they are enacting. With some cracking practical effects and engaging performances, you would be a fool not to take a big swig of Myers’ Kombucha.
Kombucha is awaiting a UK-wide release date.
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