Magnet releasing has provided fans with their first look at a truly bizarre-looking superhero film called Smoking Causes Coughing. The French-language film will be in theaters next month. The movie centers on a team of tobacco-themed superheroes, who lose their mojo and try to get it back by holding a week-long retreat to work on some team-building. Instead, it looks like they find themselves more divided than ever just as a supervillain shows up with a plan to subjugate the planet.
With designs that are clearly inspired by the Power Rangers, it probably is not surprising that the movie looks to be a bit on the campy side. In fact, notorious camp filmmaker John Waters is one of the folks who are quoted in the movie’s trailer.
Waters called the movie both “a superhero movie for idiots” and “one of the best films of the year,” and frankly, both seem pretty apt based on the trailer alone.
You can see the trailer below.
From what you can see in the trailer, it seems the movie is taking the levels of strangeness seen in things like Doom Patrol and The Suicide Squad, and dialing them up to 11. Like the latter, it seems fans are likely to see some kaiju fights, as well as some comically timed gore.
The title for the film comes from a strangely understated line in the trailer, which is particularly notable given how wild and bombastic basically the entire rest of the trailer is.
It’s directed by Quentin Dupieux, who previously helmed movies like Wrong Cops, Rubber, and Deerskin.
Here’s the official synopsis, via IGN, where the trailer debuted yesterday:
After a devastating battle against a diabolical giant turtle, the Tobacco Force is sent on a mandatory week-long retreat to strengthen their decaying group cohesion. Their sojourn goes wonderfully well until L?zardin, Emperor of Evil, decides to annihilate planet Earth. The French-language superhero comedy is directed by Quentin Dupieux and stars Gilles Lellouche, Ana?s Demoustier, Vincent Lacoste, Jean-Pascal Zadi, and Oulaya Amamra.
Magnet Releasing will distribute Smoking Causes Coughing in theaters on March 31, 2023. That same day, the movie will be available on most digital video on demand platforms in the U.S.
