Booger is a sickly-sweet tale of loneliness. Mary Dauterman’s first feature will have you texting your besties that you love them and kissing the fuzzy foreheads of your four-legged friends.

After a montage of sweet moments full of laughter between two friends Anna (Grace Glowicki) and Izzy (Sofia Dobrushin), we first really meet Anna as she struggles up the stairs. A montage of voicemails tells us that she is not just struggling to lug her bike up to her apartment, but she is struggling to make ends meet, missing work deadlines and bill due dates. Anna is also struggling over the loss of Izzy, her best friend, roommate, and cat co-parent. 

In light of an empty fridge, she eats Izzy’s leftovers, something that shows both how fresh this wound still is for her for some takeout Izzy brought home to still be edible and also how unwilling she is to discard any reminder of the space left where Izzy used to be, even if its old food. 

Anna continuously rewatches the videos saved on Izzy’s phone and thumbs through photo albums that give small vignettes into how much these two meant to each other. Things truly start to spiral for Anna after she and Izzy’s cat, Booger, an equally feisty and fluffy black cat, bites her hand and then disappears through the bedroom window. 

Losing the person closest to her causes Anna to alienate anyone else who cares for her. Joyce (Marcia DeBonis), who is the most endearing mother-of-your-best-friend (who always has Milano cookies at the ready) that you could imagine, and Anna’s boyfriend Max (Garrick Bernard) both cared for Izzy and hope to share their grief, but Anna is resistant towards a journey of healing. Instead of what might feel like “moving on,” she fixates on her search for Booger. She posts at the local pet store with a quirky owner played by the beautifully silly Heather Matarazzo, who gives thorough advice on her “missing” poster, and leaves food out on the stoop. As her focus on finding Booger deepens, so does a mysterious cat-like transformation to her body, seemingly triggered by the bite that festers on her hand. The more her life and her body fall apart, it is clear that Anna is searching for something she can never get back–her best friend. 

While Booger could have leaned heavier into the body horror, and crank up the notch on Anna’s transformation, director Mary Dauterman without a doubt delivers a touching look into grief, isolation, and the importance of the bonds we have with those around us. Inspired by her feelings during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is a reminder that while we remember the ones we have lost it is important to still cherish those who are still with us. Glowicki’s portrayal of Anna is raw, messy, and, at times, frustrating to watch–everything that makes for an authentic portrayal of the early stages of grief. Grief is messy. It makes you angry. It can make you feral. Booger is a weirdly funny film, toing a wacky and cringy horror-comedy line, and it will leave you unsure of whether you want to laugh or gag. So, pick up whatever leftovers you have in your fridge (or maybe put them down if watching a girl licking the gravy off the lid of a cat food can is too much for you), and add Booger to the lineup for your next movie night.

Grade: B

Oscars Prospects:
Likely: None
Should be Considered: None

Release Date: September 13, 2024
Where to Watch: VOD + In Select Theaters