The destiny of supermarket foods comes with a horrifying reality, in the crude R-rated “Sausage Party”. In a supermarket called Shopwell’s, various groceries come to life, all dreaming of one thing: To be chosen by a customer and taken to their home. Among the many packaged goods, is a sausage named Frank (Seth Rogen) and a hot dog bun named Brenda (Kristen Wiig). The two claim it is their destiny to be taken from the shelves together, to embark on a promising road full of new discoveries. But soon enough, they learn the horrible truth about what happens to food when it is let into human hands. Frank vows to warn his friends at Shopwell’s of their terrifying future, and in the process wages war with the human race, over the fate of his closest allies. The film also commands a top-tier cast, starring Michael Cera, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd, and Bill Hader to name a few. “Sausage Party” is directed by Greg Tierman and Conrad Vernon, and is rated R for strong crude sexual content, pervasive language, and drug use.

“Sausage Party” is one of my favorite horror films of 2016. Yes, I did just say horror films. What the powerful duo of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg brilliantly conquer is crafting an animated film with very horror-esque tones and visuals that really shock and disturb their audience. That’s not to say that this movie doesn’t have top notch comedic timing, because it does. The film is definitely the funniest movie that I have come across in the eight months of this still early movie year, but I feel confident in saying that it will be on top of that list until the very end. At 84 minutes, the film never feels rushed or paced improperly. It’s quite the contrary considering the film packs in a lot of deep and thought-provoking social commentary that is given a spin under a nutritious light. On top of being led by one of the best ensemble casts of the year, “Sausage Party” is an open invite to anyone who seeks a laughably raunchy fun time at the movies without thinking twice about the very brutality that escalates on-screen into the best ten minute finale that I have seen in quite a long time.

The humor fires on all cylinders, staying faithful to thoughtful puns that relate to a children’s movie, but also presenting such an original take when it comes to its stereotypes and characters within this story. There is some toeing the lines of racial insensitivity here, with a Taco being voiced as a Mexican and a pack of grits being given a black slang. You should know what kind of movie you are getting yourself into after watching a trailer, but if you are even remotely sensitive, this movie will offend you very early on. This is my kind of humor however, as nothing is off limits when it comes to the material within the creative walls of such a project. I mentioned earlier that the movie has solid social commentary, and what I mean is that everything from racial inequality to the existence and belief of Heaven, to the dividing of social standards within each structured community. It sounds like pretty substantial stuff considering could be described as “Just another throw-away Seth Rogen Stoner comedy”, but it’s a film that has a moving message to provide, and I appreciate when anything different always provokes the kind of parallels that we face in our own world. The film is wise enough to present humans as these borderline vampires who seek food by hurting our protagonists at any cost. In that aspect, it feels very self-reflective in the same mirror as George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” did in the 1950’s. A revolt in a community of characters who we don’t normally think twice about, going all in and fighting back against us. Truly innovative measures are taken, and if there was ever a movie geared towards vegan propaganda, this is it.

One thing that worried me going into this film was how the cast and characters were going to use the R-rated capabilities that they had, and would it lose its luster early on in the movie. The film certainly wastes no time revealing its very adult-like atmospheres, but amazingly I never felt like the humor was repetitive or even losing its power despite this being a free-for-all of four letter words. The story is a little thin, with very little subplots going on within the movie. I didn’t fault it too much considering the focus is very front-and-center within the war of Humans Vs Food. There were very little down periods for this movie, and it usually kept itself flowing smoothly with the three act structure that it showcased.

I stayed very much in-tune to Goldberg/Rogen’s story, and a lot of that had to do with some wonderfully inserted Easter eggs too many to count, that gives the movie great re-watch value for its fans. The designs and backgrounds for this Shopwells supermarket are very detailed, and the animation goes well above in 2016 for anything that isn’t Pixar or Dreamworks. The mouth movements of our characters sync up pretty well with their words, and nothing ever felt cheap or unconvincing in their speech patterns. One of my favorite scenes in the whole movie is a finale that spares no time or creative direction, and it is not only brutal in visuals, but artfully crafted in wide angle designs that relate to the audience that the worst is still to come. It all makes for a visual treat that is every bit as delightful as the gut-busting material, and it all takes the opportunity to break the fourth wall on more than one occasion, relating the 2D animation unraveling before our very eyes with the creators of such a story within our own world. Anytime a movie can outthink “Zootopia”, it’s in pretty solid ground, and while this film might not be as technically sound as that one, it does give a voice for the stoner crowd who have plenty to add to the conversation.

“Sausage Party” rips its way through brutally honest visuals that never fail to grab its audience in laughter and put them on the edge of their seats in gorey detail. Rogen and Goldberg tap the right men in Tierman and Vernon, and it’s in their clashing of worlds between children’s animation, R-rated raunchy humor, and Horrifying visuals, where it feels like this movie is the first to be honest with its audience. This is fresh produce that never goes stale, tingling your taste buds with a new layer of insanity every ten minutes. Stock your curious cart with this gem from the best comedy duo going today.

8/10