Pluribus' Creator Vince Gilligan Wrote A Dark Fantasy Movie That Deserves A Second Look

Vince Gilligan's "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" excel in illustrating what makes an anti-hero tick. This exploration isn't skin-deep, as Gilligan explores morality as a complex alignment that morphs over time. His latest offering, "Pluribus," also positions a dangerous protagonist who compels us to root for her despite her idiosyncrasies. This Apple TV series tackles the alien invasion trope in the most delightfully bonkers way, forcing us to re-evaluate the merits (and dangers) of the collective consciousness. While Gilligan had lent his stellar writing talents to a string of popular projects over the years (including "The X-Files"), he wrote a lesser-known, critically panned movie that might be worth a revisit. The film in question is 1993's "Wilder Napalm."

It is worth mentioning that Gilligan wrote the script for the film fresh out of college, and that it allowed him to move on to more worthwhile projects down the line. Not everything in "Wilder Napalm" works, even though it is the earliest example of Gilligan's ability to merge disparate tonal elements and take inspired narrative swings. For instance, when you think of a romantic comedy involving a love triangle, the term "pyrokinetic" doesn't exactly come to mind. Well, "Wilder Napalm" presents brothers Wallace (Dennis Quaid) and Wilder (Arliss Howard) as pyrokinetics from the get-go, who grow estranged after a traumatic childhood incident. This might sound interesting on paper, but Glenn Gordon Caron's film has a hard time justifying its own gimmick.

That said, it would be unwise to judge a film by its public perception alone. "Wilder Napalm" is for those who love whimsy and are able to appreciate silly character quirks in a film that isn't a conventional genre-blend. It is also genuinely funny, indicative of Gilligan's penchant for humor in stories where a lot goes wrong at once.

Spoilers for "Wilder Napalm" ahead.

Caron's film takes the "Firestarter" route when we realize that Wallace and Wilder can make things (and people) combust into flames with their minds. After unwittingly setting someone on fire, the brothers take drastically different routes growing up. While Wilder settles for normalcy and avoids the spotlight (he even takes up a job as a firefighter), Wallace embraces his fire-starting skills and performs as a clown for a traveling carnival. This is a great set-up to explore their respective relationships to guilt/accountability, as the brothers couldn't be more different in their handling of childhood tragedy. But Caron's approach to Gilligan's offbeat screenplay feels a bit too practical, which is why it suffers from some insane tonal whiplash.

Perhaps, "Wild Napalm" would've benefitted from a more eccentric director at the helm (even though Caron is hardly a risk-averse creative, given how ambitious "Moonlighting" was back in 1985). We see glimmers of such absurdity when Wilder's firemen abruptly break into an a cappella chorus (!) or things go kaboom! when you least expect it. There's also Debra Winger's Vida, who is strikingly charismatic as the woman the brothers fight over, and she exercises a refreshing amount of agency throughout the narrative. All of these elements culminate in an underwhelming resolution, but the journey itself is interesting enough for a romance doomed by a fascination with (and aversion to) fire.

If you disregard all expectations tied to the romance and dark fantasy genre, "Wilder Napalm" makes a strong impression as an off-kilter genre blend. Even if you don't go into it completely blind, there are ample opportunities to feel pleasantly surprised by Gilligan's writing and how it paves the path for quirky characters living in a volatile world.