This Spot-On Parody of Rian Johnson’s Brick Takes on Toxic Star Wars Fandom

It’s safe to say that audiences had A LOT of opinions about Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Rian Johnson’s first foray into the Star Wars universe was met with the raging toxicity of an embittered fandom, whose racism and anger extended to Kelly Marie Tran and her character Rose Tico. Ultimately, Tran left social media to escape the barrage of online abuse. In addition, there were some half-baked campaigns to remake the movie, despite the fact that the film was a massive box office success and Disney owns all the rights.

Filmmaker and podcaster Dana James Jones was fed up with the constant hate, so he decided to make a short film parody of Rian Johnson’s debut indie hit Brick. The 2005 Sundance hit was a neo-noir high school tale starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a student investigating the murder of his ex-girlfriend.

In Star Wars: Revenge of the Incels, Gordon-Levitt is replaced by a young Rian Johnson, who is investigating the death of Kelly Marie Tran’s social media presence. Along the way, he encounters J.J. Abrams, Kathleen Kennedy, Daisy Ridley, and angry incel fanboys struggling to make their own The Last Jedi. The short perfectly captures the feel and tone of Brick, even using the same locations in which Johnson shot the film.

“I was a freshman when Rian shot Brick and so I knew all the locations back then,” Jones told io9. “So many fans are still divided over The Last Jedi, and I think we just needed to make fun of how serious it’s all being taken by some of the fans.” The short is getting a lo of love online, and even Rian Johnson himself is a fan.

We’re so used to seeing the effects of toxic fandom on the Star Wars franchise that it’s a breath of fresh air to see a brilliantly rendered, meticulous fan statement. Tip of the hat to Dana James Jones and everyone involved. You’ve made something delightful out of the Sarlacc pit that is SW fandom.

(via io9, image: Screengrab)

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Chelsea Steiner

Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

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