Low-Budget Shenanigans: A Sci-Fi Comedy for the Ages
Ah, the beauty of indie cinema! There’s something heartwarming about a scrappy little film that embraces absurdity with the enthusiasm of a toddler on a sugar high. Enter Don’t Push That!—a sci-fi comedy so low-budget it makes your roommate’s half-eaten pizza look like a gourmet meal. With a budget smaller than most people’s impulse buys on Amazon, this film is a love letter to creativity. Or maybe just a really long thank-you note to all the fast-food chains that donated their leftover napkins for the script.
Crafted by the clever mind of Durden Godfrey, a filmmaker hailing from Jacksonville, Florida (yes, the place known for gator wrestling and an ongoing debate about the correct way to fry fish), this film was made for a mere $1,500. That’s right—$1,500! At this rate, even your local coffee shop’s “free WiFi with a purchase” policy looks like a trip to the Louvre.
The plot thickens faster than a cheap gravy as three friends come across a government device with a warning label so foreboding it could double as a Netflix synopsis. Spoiler alert: they ignore it. The device is built to predict the worst possible outcomes of any given moment—because who doesn’t want to be reminded of their life choices, am I right? Once activated, these brilliant thinkers must press its ominous button every eleven minutes. Don’t worry, those pesky timelines are exploding all around them, but hey, at least they’ll get some cardio in while saving reality!
The chaos only escalates from there. Not only are rogue agents lurking in every corner like that one friend who insists they aren’t stalking your social media, but they’re also being pursued by a self-styled “shadow patriot” named Tru Vega. Because nothing screams sensible plot development like a character with a name so bad it should come with a complimentary eye roll.
What unfolds next is a delightful spiral of panic, predictions, and relentless button-pressing that might make you question if fate is something to wrestle or just an annoying friend in your group chat. Picture this: ancient prophecies collide with the worst possible weekend plans, and the result is an urban sci-fi satire that might just redefine your understanding of catastrophic comedy.
Despite its rough edges, Don’t Push That! skillfully blends visual gags and chaotic vibes into a glorious mess of dark humor and poorly thought-out decisions. The very premise—a floating multiverse device that looks suspiciously like a repurposed toaster—gives the trailer a unique flavor, like the hybrid of two weird food trucks battling for attention at the same festival.
The film features an ensemble cast of Taurean Royal, Domanick Graham, and Dalaiah Simeon, each fully embracing the absurdity like they’re auditioning for a role in a world that has lost all sense of realism. Godfrey takes the reins as both writer and director, proving that you can effectively wear many hats, even if one of them looks suspiciously like a tinfoil cap. Produced by Angela and David Petlansky under the fabulous banner of Toilet On The Roof Productions—seriously, can we take a minute to appreciate that name?—you can’t help but be intrigued.
As of now, Don’t Push That! has yet to grace the festival circuit, but you can mark your calendars for a summer 2026 release. Who knows? Maybe by then, the rest of the film industry will have finally caught on to the brilliance of low-budget mayhem. Or at the very least, we may find out if the button gets pressed one too many times, leading to unforeseen consequences involving alien cats and a broccoli uprising. Stay tuned!
