HONK - OFFICIAL TRAILER from WOW FILMS on Vimeo.

directed by:
Cheryl Allison
written by:
Cheryl Allison
genre:
Documentary

by WILL CONRAD

  I don't even know how to approach the writing of this review. I don't mean that in a bad way either - instead, in the best of ways. You see, reader, "HONK" is a very simple film that captures the complexity of emotion in a straightforward way. It's about those things we learn as children: Friendship, empathy, and yes, even loneliness. It's about something unlikely rising far beyond what anyone could have ever suspected and still remain reachable for any of us - and even relevant. What am I talking about exactly? I'm talking about a "friendship film" with the starring role going to a goose - and the co-star playing herself, a filmmaker, in front of the camera. The result speaks for itself.
 With the pandemic looming heavily over this flick at first, I was reminded just how socially devastating Covid-19 has "actually" been to so many people worldwide. It's not that I didn't already know - but seeing others "talk" about how I've personally been feeling always opens up the floodgates of emotions. The heavy Covid-cloud was the perfect stage setter for my introduction to Honk the goose. As filmmaker Cheryl Allison recounted her introduction to this spectacular fowl, my heart began the process of completely melting. I have to write that I'm an older male raised with the old-school traditions of men not making public their emotions. Something I've been working on for years, but my point is this - by the end of the film, I had run the entire spectrum of emotion. For that alone, this flick earns top marks.
 I don't precisely understand the why - but watching the friendship between Cheryl and Honk grow just hit all the right buttons. A grim revelation halfway through the film made me incredibly sad, and a few scenes here and there made me really angry. I understand that this is a documentary - so remaining spoiler-free isn't an absolute necessity but honestly? I would rather viewers experience the film the way I did, so I don't want to reveal all the movie's beats...

  ... but I will write that by the time Cheryl is in touch with Kathy Rogers and Honk is safe in his new home with his new friends, my joy was impossible to contain. What started off as a funny, cute encounter had run its course, and finally, Honk was home! Of course, that wasn't the end of the story, and again, my emotions had a tight grip, but the ending of "HONK" really isn't the ending at all. Honk will continue to inspire from multiple fronts, and that makes me happy.
 Again, I'm back to that "What the heck should I write?" phase and really don't have a lot more to say. "HONK" hit me like an emotional ton of bricks. I wasn't expecting it and honestly wasn't prepared. A woman and a goose were all it took. Yet, perhaps that's not completely accurate. Cheryl and Honk may have been the perfect combination for other, deeper meanings and messages - for sure, "HONK" is full of them. With all that written, I strongly urge anyone reading to not only check out this movie when the time comes but also visit the socials below. Four and a half stars is not a rating I give out often, but in this case, it's the perfect way to go.

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