Buffet Infinity embraces non-traditional storytelling, opting to unravel their narrative through a series of low-budget commercials.  There is a larger story that unravels between the note-perfect ads for law firms, pawn shops, and restaurants.

• Directed by: Simon Glassman
• Written by: Allison Bench. Simon Glassman. Elisia Snyder
• Starring: Kevin Singh. Ahmed Ahmed. Brandon Vanderwall

On the surface, it would be easy to write Buffet Infinity off as short attention span theater. It is, in fact, quite the opposite. Deciphering the story that plays out between the ludicrous shorts requires patience and an attention to detail not indicated by the format.

The funny competition between the buffet and a local sandwich shop sets up the mostly comedic first act of the movie. The movie takes a dark turn when Jennifer, the sandwich shop owner, goes missing. In the meantime, the buffet continues to expand and take over the surrounding businesses.

The Plot?

The other local businesses weigh in on the strange happenings with an attorney, Mosley Rosin, leading the charge. He runs ads about injuries and deceptive ads from local religious groups. Now, Rosin works to protect the other businesses. Other ads highlight the conflict brewing, as owners try to figure out what side they should be on. His main antagonist seems to be spiritualist, novelist, and podiatrist Langdon Hershey, an L. Ron Hubbard analogue. I say “seems to be” because nothing is straightforward here. It’s one of Buffet Infinity’s greatest strengths

Hershey has a bit of a cult going with his spiritualism. But he’s not a total fraud. The ads for his novels reveal he has some background knowledge of what’s going on. So much so that he goes on TV to warn people that something powerful is coming. Right before his head explodes during the live interview.

The Expansion

Once the ads introduce a kid-themed arcade, the narrative structure breaks as we follow a girl into a restricted area. After that creepy moment, the ads return, showing just how much worse things really are.   Over 100 people are missing, and the buffet has made a movie casting the missing sandwich shop owner as an alcoholic who messed with the mob.

The ads are eventually intercut with news bulletins announcing a huge fire and disaster. As Buffet Infinity advertises their plans for world domination and reveals what has happened to the missing people, the world outside collapses in fire.  

But that’s not where the movie ends. Unfortunately, the reality beneath the ads reveals that the townspeople are trapped inside their homes. They’re slowly starving to death because of the strange occurrences happening outside.  As we progress into the last act, the movie starts to break the ad construct. Although we still hear the non-stop narration from Buffet Infinity in the background.

The Story in the Ad

Look, I know I spent a lot of time walking you through the ads. Generally, I try to stay away from plot breakdowns. But on this one, it actually felt important to stress that there is a plot here. It’s just not told through character arcs or any traditional narrative structure. The story is woven into the ads themselves. As the pawn shop and car dealership get excess inventory, we learn that more people are missing. The never-ending cheer of the insurance ads represents the everyman struggling to cope in this new, near-apocalypse.  They also provide needed comic relief in the face of impending doom.

All Theme

Buffet Infinity is about never-ending consumption. It’s a powerful message wrapped in absurdist narrative.  All the strange events plaguing the town—the sinkhole, the hum, and the buffet—stem from the arrival of an ever-devouring entity that won’t stop until it destroys the town.  Essentially, once the entity takes root, it takes everything. 

There are two crystal-clear examples of this. First, the sandwich shop owner, Jenny, is taken by the void physically. After her disappearance, her reputation is ruined by the cult and the buffet through their ads and slanderous made-for-TV movie. The entity, through all its forms, consumed every part of her.

The other is the association formed by local businesses who are then made complicit in their own destruction. They fight back against any laws or structures that would protect the city from corrupt business practices, which… yeah.

It’s a biting commentary on survival in the face of brutal capitalism. Like, how people will attach themselves to the idea of success in the hopes of claiming some for themselves. The downfall of collaborators. And how cooperation or collusion doesn’t guarantee success or survival.

This may be one of my top three favorite movies of the year. It has no character arcs, but is nearly 100% theme. It’s brilliant and daring, full of risks and musical numbers. I haven’t been surprised by a movie this much since They Call Her Death.

Final Thought

That being said, this will not be for everyone. If you want a coherent linear narrative, you will not get one. It’s also unsettling, not scary; this is enhanced by the visuals being filtered through an old-school broadcast TV or VHS-like effect throughout. Other than some mild exploding head and a guy that I’m pretty sure ate himself, it’s low on gore. I can’t wait to rewatch it.

Buffet Infinity is availble on streaming.