40
The New York Times by Dave Kehr
The film feels too formulaic and too familiar to produce the transgressive thrills of early underground work.
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What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
80
Despite occasional bad-taste outrageousness, overall tone is surprisingly sweet, even lyrical and romantic at times.
12
New York Daily News by Elizabeth Weitzman
With its amateurish performances and sloppy script, Hey, Happy! has the homemade feel of a cult movie, but very little of the charm.
40
Village Voice by Jessica Winter
Gonick's visceral impulses have drawn comparisons with John Waters, but the starry-eyed collision of gross-out gags and candy-sweet sentiment owes as much of a debt to the Farrellys as Bruce LaBruce.
50
Clearly, it's not for everyone. Extra points for a great electronic soundtrack, striking widescreen cinematography and an unapologetically freaky attitude.
50
Like its characters, Hey, Happy! is more comfortable with music, images, and rhythms than words, but unlike raves, narrative films generally need dialogue, and whenever the characters open their mouths, the movie crawls to a halt. Even at 75 minutes, it seems less like a party than an endurance test.
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by Rick Groen
An exuberant mess of a movie. You despair at the mess, at the narrative and structural chaos; and yet you delight in the director's sheer infectious energy.
50
Individual parts are actually quite funny, and the music, the most marketable element, is quite good. It's just that most of us cringe at photos of ourselves taken while we're really loaded. Too often, Hey, Happy! feels as if that embarrassment was taken to the next level.