Hanky Panky: Absurdist Story About Vulgar, Heroic Handkerchief Is Nothing to Sneeze At

By Thom Ernst

Rating: B-

With its quirky take on a doomsday scenario and a hero you could tuck into your pocket, Hanky Panky lives up to its title as a mischievous slice of offbeat nonsense.

The premise feels familiar, akin to M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin or Eli Roth’s Cabin Fever, where society’s collapse looms ominously in the secluded setting of a cabin retreat. Only here, the hero is an unlikely one — a foul-mouthed handkerchief.

Directors Nick Roth and Lindsay Haun embrace the absurdity wholeheartedly, allowing their story to venture wherever it pleases, no matter how outlandish. And as soon as you accept that a talking handkerchief isn’t the strangest thing in this film, you’re in it for the long haul.

Enter Woody, the snarky, streetwise cloth that may be our last line of defense against a sinister talking hat named Harry. Sure, a handkerchief might be more associated with sniffles than with heroics, but Hanky Panky somehow convinces us to root for this wise-cracking scrap of fabric.

Roth and Haun craft Woody with a personality that’s part grumpy New Yorker, part restless kid, and when the chips are down, Woody flaps into action against his nemesis, the coarse Harry, voiced by Seth Green.

Sam (Jacob DeMonte-Finn), the film’s human protagonist, inadvertently stumbles into this madness after accepting a weekend retreat invite. Socially anxious and hoping to disappear for a few days, he finds himself instead in a bizarre fight for survival, relying on Woody as his unlikely protector.

The ensuing slapstick chaos isn’t just played for laughs — some characters emerge physically or mentally unscathed, while others aren’t so lucky.

The villainous Harry, voiced with a grating, carnival-barker pitch by Green, makes for an ideal foil to Woody’s sarcasm. And the handkerchief-versus-hat showdown is as ridiculous as it sounds, but the film’s self-awareness makes it clear everyone’s in on the joke.

Roth and Haun let the budget limitations show, practically inviting the audience to spot the visible wires and rough edges. Yet these choices lend Hanky Panky an endearing charm, as though the film itself is smirking at its own chaos.

While Hanky Panky revels in its absurdity, it doesn’t always hit the mark. Some snippets of performances stumble when taxed with performing exaggerated accents meant to be evil but that feel at odds with the film’s tone. But the movie’s strengths — Woody’s quick wit and the sheer oddity of the setup — carry it through these rough spots.

Helping over those rough spots is a damn fine comedic performance from Ashley Holliday Tavares who plays the quirky, pleasantly optimistic Diane. Tavares is a find and owns every moment she is on screen.

Yet, Hanky Panky doesn’t fair well on IMDb, coming in with a dismal 3.7 rating. Sure, there are moments chaotic, clumsy and on occasion amateurish. Still, the film feels like a love letter to low-budget creativity, reminiscent of the surreal antics of The Monkees or the meta-humor of Family Guy.

Roth and Haun’s film may be a scrappy indie, but it revels in its weirdness and dares the audience to look away. It’s a bit rough around the edges, but when Hanky Panky hits its stride, it flies — visible wires and all.

Hanky Panky. Co-directed by Nick Roth and Lindsay Haun. Starring Jacob DeMonte-Finn, Ashley Holliday Tavares and Seth Green. Currently streaming on several platforms including Apple TV+, Prime, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango, Xbox, and Xumo.