The Chumscrubber

The Chumscrubber (2005) is a dark comedy directed by Arie Posin — stream it online on iFILM. Set in a picture-perfect American suburb where every adult is medicated and none of them are actually present, the film features a dense ensemble: Jamie Bell, Glenn Close, Ralph Fiennes, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jason Isaacs, William Fichtner.

When Troy, the high school's resident drug dealer, hangs himself in his bedroom, his friend Dean (Bell) decides not to tell anyone. No one would do anything useful anyway. Three classmates immediately seize the opportunity: they want Troy's stash, and they are willing to kidnap Dean's younger brother to get it. Meanwhile the adults plan weddings, attend therapy sessions, and congratulate themselves on living somewhere safe.

Posin's satire is precise without being smug. The parents are not villains — they are just completely elsewhere, numbed out and unavailable. The film understands that suburban dysfunction is less about secrets and more about everybody agreeing not to look. For viewers who found American Beauty too gentle, The Chumscrubber (2005) turns the knife a little further. Watch it online on iFILM.