Extra Ordinary: The Horror of High Expectations
Extra Ordinary is a film about two characters being crushed under the weight of high expectations. Rose Dooley (Maeve Higgins) is the daughter of a relatively famous medium who inherited his supernatural talents — only she chooses not to use them because she blames a botched exorcism for his death. The people of her small town come to her for help, but she prefers her life as a driving instructor. Christian Walker (Will Forte) is a one-hit wonder living abroad in Ireland who, in an attempt to regain his former relevance, makes a pact with a demon, setting himself on a collision course with Rose.
The world of Extra Ordinary is a kooky one. Ghosts don’t just haunt your typical spaces. See that discarded appliance? That’s a ghost. See that tree branch waving? That’s a ghost. So is that pothole and that bird. That werewolf with the fiery red hair? Well, actually, that’s just a fox. Christian Walker’s deal with the devil isn’t without its quirks either. Naturally, he’s required to supply a virgin sacrifice — which he uses a phallic staff to help him locate — but if said virgins are woken from their trance prematurely, they explode.
Rose is eventually coaxed back to work as a medium by Martin Martin, a widower who finally resolves to rid himself of his wife’s meddlesome ghost. When his teenage daughter is abducted by Walker, they hatch a plan to save her.
Is it scary? No, it’s very silly and sweet. Extra Ordinary is probably the only horror comedy I’ll cover during this series and I do so simply because of the love I have for it. Higgins (who is also a co-writer) and Forte are at the top of their game here, with great supporting performances from their respective love interests, played by Barry Ward and Claudia O’Doherty. I could watch this film every six months and probably have since its release near the beginning of the pandemic.
Streaming: currently it’s streaming on AMC+ (which you can get as a package with Shudder, FYI).
