How to Watch ‘Smoking Causes Coughing’?: One of the toughest films to make is a dark comedy. Finding that perfect balance and comic timings makes this genre a hard one to crack. One of the very few directors who have cracked this is French director Quentin Dupieux. His absurd, surreal, dark comedies have always been the talk. The way he challenges traditional storytelling is something worthy of admiration. He’s been critically acclaimed for his unique artistic vision and continues to push the boundaries of filmmaking. His latest film, “Smoking Causes Coughing,” is nothing short of a marvel.
Written, directed, and shot by Quentin, this film follows a group of superheroes called The Tobacco Forces being sent on a week-long retreat for team building after their recent fight and win over a giant turtle named Tortusse. The 5 superheroes, Benzène, Nicotine, Methanol, Mercure, and Ammoniaque, go on this mandatory retreat on the orders of their leader Chief Didier who is a rat puppet. As they enjoy and build team cohesion, the planet Earth is in danger as the Emperor of Evil, Lézardin, decides to annihilate it. The absurdity of the film and its trope, along with some very unexpected twists, makes up for a good ride. A genius direction, along with great performances by the cast, makes it one of the best films of the year.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film received 91% positive reviews and a rating of 7.0. The film received love and praise from critics and the general audience alike. For the weirdest superhero film ever, you can expect some action, dope cinematography, and laughter, which comes laced with dark humor. Director and visionary Quentin Dupieux doesn’t disappoint with his out-of-the-box storytelling. We surely need more such directors who make filmmaking more interesting, even from the eyes of an audience.
Smoking Causes Coughing Cast:
The film stars an ensemble of actors, namely Gilles Lellouche as Benzène, Vincent Lacoste as Methanol, Anaïs Demoustier as Nicotine, Jean-Pascal Zadi as Mercure, and Oulaya Amamra as Ammoniaque.
The portrayal of the 5 absurd superheroes with even absurd powers is quite a sight to behold. Also starring is Alain Chabat as the voice and puppeteer of Chief Didier, a rat who is the chief of the Tobacco Force, and Benoît Poelvoorde as Lézardin, an Emperor of Evil.
Is ‘Smoking Causes Coughing’ playing in movie theatres?
Yes! The film was released in limited theatres across the US on March 31, 2023, after its world premiere in May 2022 and French release in November 2022. For theatre listings nearby, you can visit the Fandango website for tickets.
Where can I stream ‘Smoking Causes Coughing’ movie online?
On the same day as its theatrical release, Smoking Causes Coughing is available digitally to Buy/Rent on most on-demand services such as Amazon Instant Video, Vudu, Apple TV+.
As of now, there’s no official release date for its release on leading streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, MUBI, etc. As to when that would be is still unknown. Till then, you can keep a lookout for this space for further updates.
Watch the trailer for ‘Smoking Causes Coughing’ Here:
