Watch Yoga Hosers
- PG-13
- 2016
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4.3 (15,388)
Yoga Hosers is a quirky and irreverent horror-comedy from director Kevin Smith, following the adventures of two teenage convenience store clerks and best friends, Colleen Collette (Lily-Rose Depp) and Colleen McKenzie (Harley Quinn Smith). The Colleens are typical mallrats, obsessed with their smartphones, social media, and yoga, while working their dead-end jobs at the Eh-2-Zed convenience store in Winnipeg.
Their humdrum existence is turned upside down when a mysterious evil threatens their small town, with all signs pointing to an invasion of Nazi bratwursts. Yes, you read that right. The tiny sausages are animated by ancient yogic forces and controlled by a long-dead mad scientist named Andronicus Arcane (Ralph Garman), who is seeking to unleash an army of ancient monsters upon the world. The Colleens are reluctantly drawn into the fray, wielding their yoga skills and trusty hockey sticks to battle the evil forces and save the day.
Along the way, they are aided by a motley crew of characters, including the legendary manhunter Guy Lapointe (Johnny Depp playing a different character from a previous Kevin Smith film), who is investigating a string of murders linked to the Nazi bratwursts. There are also appearances by Kevin Smith regulars Jason Mewes as a dim-witted ex-boyfriend, and Justin Long as a yoga guru who meets a grisly fate.
The humor is unabashedly crass and silly, with fart jokes, pop culture references, and sight gags aplenty. The film takes gleeful delight in lampooning Canadian stereotypes, with jokes about hockey, Tim Hortons coffee, and apologies. The Colleens are endlessly bickering and bantering, with their own made-up slang and social media slang like "Icymi" (in case you missed it) and "Lolocaust" (a joke that was poorly received and led to some controversy).
Despite its frivolous tone, there are some underlying themes about friendship, loyalty, and the perils of social media addiction. The Colleens learn to appreciate each other's strengths and weaknesses, and to value real-life experiences over online validation. There are also some nods to feminist issues, with the girls standing up to sexist bullies and confronting the male-dominated world of horror films.
Visually, the film is a riot of bright colors, cartoonish CGI, and practical effects. The Nazi bratwursts are a particular highlight, with their tiny swastika-shaped arms and comically exaggerated German accents. The action sequences are surprisingly well-choreographed, with the Colleens showing off some impressive martial arts moves and hockey skills. The film's soundtrack is also a highlight, featuring a mix of classic rock tunes and original music by Kevin Smith's daughter, Harley Quinn Smith.
Overall, Yoga Hosers is a polarizing film that won't be to everyone's taste. It's crass, silly, and often juvenile, but it's also a lot of fun and contains some unexpectedly poignant moments. Fans of Kevin Smith's previous work will appreciate his usual blend of raunchy humor and offbeat storytelling, while newcomers may be put off by the film's absurdity. In any case, it's a unique and memorable viewing experience that is sure to elicit strong reactions from audiences.
Yoga Hosers is a 2016 comedy. It has received poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 4.3 and a MetaScore of 23.