Spermageddon at SIFF: A Load of Fun
Spermageddon (2024)
Directed by Tommy Wirkola and Rasmus A. Siversten
Starring Aksel Hennie and Mathilde Storm
As seen at the 51st annual Seattle International Film Festival
From the demented mind that brought us Violent Night—the 2022 holiday action-comedy starring David Harbour as a murderous Santa—comes a giant load of creativity and charm. And for me, as a Norwegian American, a tinge of pride as well. Ja, vi elsker! (That’s Norway’s national anthem, for those keeping score.)
According to the SIFF programmer who introduced Spermageddon at its midnight screening, director Tommy Wirkola shopped the script to several American studios. The problem? They weren’t too keen on its clever-yet-crass material. To be fair, the premise sounds like it was stumbled upon in a haze of pot smoke at a frat party. I’m trying to imagine the pitch: “All right. It’s a coming-of-age story where a young boy’s sperm embark on an epic quest to impregnate his partner’s ovum. And don’t worry—I say young, but both kids are teenagers. Think Inside Out (in terms of personifying internal processes), meets South Park (for tone), with a squirt of The Hobbit (for structure).” In all likelihood, the pitch was better than that—but still, sounds like a tough sell.
So, Wirkola said “screw this” and took his script back home to Norway. Co-director Rasmus A. Sivertsen and the team at Qvisten Animation heard the premise and said, “Ja sure, ya betcha!” Compared to Europeans, we Americans are quite prudish.
Spermageddon’s strength is its creative animation and pun-fueled fun. Co-director Sivertsen created characters that are both anatomical and adorable—specifically, the sperm. They have big, doe eyes that emote charm and alarm in equal measure. Hats off to the animators: they built a well-thought-out and highly imaginative world inside a teenager’s ballsack.
The star of the show, however, is the puns. Honestly, the entire film feels like one giant pun. From start to finish, the jokes keep cumming and cumming. For crying out loud, the sperm are named Simen Sprut, Jizzmo, and Cumilla. Most films that lean into these kinds of cheap thrills easily overdo it. Wirkola and his team manage to avoid that pitfall by keeping the pace steady and not blowing their—you know what—too soon.
Is this film as deep as Pixar’s Wall-E or Soul? Not even close. Spermageddon stays grandly on the surface, and it’s best if you let the crude humor wash over you like a golden shower (if you’re into that). Because this is a journey best suited for a night out with friends. I was lucky enough—and jacked up on caffeine enough—to catch the midnight screening with two dear friends, and it was a load of fun. I would argue this is how all films are meant to be seen. And if you show up with expectations that don’t exceed a few laughs and a good time, Spermageddon will cream your Twinkie for sure.