Spermageddon
| Spermageddon | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Edited by | Martin Stoltz |
| Music by | Christian Wibe |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | SF Studios |
Release dates |
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Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | Norway |
| Language | Norwegian |
| Budget | €3 million[1] |
| Box office | $1 million[2] |
Spermageddon is a 2024 Norwegian adult animated musical sex comedy film directed by Tommy Wirkola and Rasmus A. Sivertsen. The film consists of two plot lines, one focusing on a teenage couple having sex for the first time, and the other on Simen the Semen and his friends in quest for the Egg.[3][4]
The film has been reported to be "in the veins of Sausage Party" and described by Wirkola as "both a road movie and an epic adventure ... much like Lord of the Rings".[3] Producer Kjetil Omberg likened it to South Park and Checkered Ninja, saying it targets "elder kids and adults".[1]
Plot
[edit]Jens, a 16-year-old boy, goes on a camping trip with his friends to a cabin. One of the girls is Lisa, Jens’ crush from the previous summer who moved after her father got a job in Oslo. During a game of Truth or Dare, Jens is dared to kiss Lisa and afterwards the two have sex for the first time. Inside Jens’ testicles lives a society of sperm cells. A young sperm cell named Simen Sprut is ostracised due to not having any interest in taking part in the race to the egg. His only friend Cumilla however, tries to get him to take an interest. Meanwhile Jizzmo, an entrepreneur sperm cell, creates an armoured suit called the Ejaculator 9000 which allows him to fight through anything that will prevent him from getting to the egg, including killing other sperm which he demonstrates by brutally killing a worker.
During Jens’ first ejaculation, Jizzmo cuts open the condom which allows him and other sperm cells to enter Lisa’s vagina. Simen upsets Cumilla when he holds her back from entering Jens’ urethra. Meanwhile, Jens and Lisa have sex again. However, due to Jens being tired from the previous intercourse ends up penetrating Lisa’s anus. This time, Simen and Cumilla, along with their teacher Professor Saltsmak and classmate Etterskvett (Aftersquirt) enter the urethra but unfortunately end up in Lisa’s rectum. There, they meet an e-coli who guides them to Lisa’s system where they travel through her bladder and manage to swing on her pubic hairs into her vagina while she is urinating. However, Etterskvett ends up falling to his death.
Lisa applies spermicide which kills many of the sperm inside her uterus, including Saltsmak. Meanwhile, a trio of gangster sperms led by Egon Olsæd who are on a mission to enter the egg and become triplets try to get the spermicide to kill Jizzmo but he escapes and instead kills Egon’s friends Benner’n and Bjell. Jizzmo then tries to kill the other sperm cells but is stopped by Egon who causes Jizzmo’s suit to self-destruct, sacrificing himself, killing the spermicide and allowing the other sperm cells, including Simen and Cumilla to swim to the egg.
Jens and Lisa go on a walk and Lisa expresses her frustration to Jens for not being able to have an orgasm from when they’ve had sex. The two have sex against a tree and as soon as Lisa ejaculates, a beehive falls on Jens’ pelvis who ejaculates in it. The bees chase Jens along with Lisa and the two end up falling down a hill. In Lisa’s uterus, the turbulence causes the egg to bounce around, killing the other sperm cells and leaving only Simen and Cumilla. However, a still-living Jizzmo attacks them and is finally killed when he bites off Cumilla’s tail and is crushed by the egg. Simen and Cumilla enter the egg together.
Six weeks later, Jens and Lisa go to a clinic to get an abortion pill where the gynaecologist explains through song that they should take time to plan for a family if that’s what they want. The film ends with Jens suggesting a movie marathon with Lisa as the abortion pill will take two days to work.
Cast
[edit]- Aksel Hennie as Simen, a male sperm with a pair of glasses who lives inside of Jens
- Mathilde Storm as Cumilla, a female sperm who lives inside of Jens
- Nasrin Khusrawi as Lisa, an African-Norwegian teenager and Jens's girlfriend
- Christian Mikkelsen as Jens, an awkward ginger-haired teenager who is a Star Wars fan and Lisa's boyfriend
- Bjørn Sundquist as Professor Saltsmak, an elder sperm who lives inside of Jens
- Christian Rubeck as Jizzmo, the captain of the Sperms with an Iron Man-inspired suit
- John Rungot as Egon Olsæd a sperm who lives inside of Jens
- Gustav Nilsen as Benner'n & Bjell, two sperms who lives inside of Jens
- Stig Frode Henriksen as E-Coli Troll, an e-coli who lives inside of Lisa's colon
- Silya as Gynekologen
- Jakob Schøyen Andersen as Hjernekjell, Jens's brain
- Ingrid Bolsø Berdal as Hjerniffer, a part of Jens's brain
- Charlotte Frogner as Hjernia, a part of Jens's brain
Production
[edit]In June 2021, the production was reported to begin "in the fall".[1] It was in production as of May 2022.[5] In March 2024, Wirkola said the film was in post-production.[6]
Music
[edit]| Spermageddon | ||||
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| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | February 28, 2025 | |||
| Christian Wibe chronology | ||||
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The soundtrack contains several musical numbers composed by screenwriter Jesper Sundnes and score composer Christian Wibe. Wibe has previously worked with Wirkola on Dead Snow (2009), Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead (2014), What Happened to Monday (2017), The Trip (2021) and Violent Night (2022).
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Her i Pungen" (performed by Aksel Hennie and Mathilde Storm) | 3:50 |
| 2. | "Spermageddon" (Christian Rubeck) | 3:15 |
| 3. | "Abortsangen" (Silya) | 4:32 |
| 4. | "E. colisangen" (Stig Frode Henriksen) | 1:23 |
Release
[edit]Spermageddon was being sold for local distributors at the Marché du Film of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival by the international sales agent Charades.[5][7] It screened for prospective buyers at the 2024 edition.[8]
The film premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on 10 June 2024, under its Midnight Specials section.[9][10] It screened at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in July 2024,[11] at the Fantastic Fest in September 2024,[12] at the Sitges Film Festival in October 2024,[13] and in the Limelight section of the 54th International Film Festival Rotterdam in February 2025.[14]
The film was set for release in the Nordics on 10 January 2025 by SF Studios,[15] but the release was later pushed back to 28 February 2025.[16] The film has been sold for distribution in the Adriatics, Austria, the Baltics, Bulgaria, the CIS, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, and Thailand.[15][17]
Reception
[edit]Jordan Mintzer of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "So much crude humor can grow exhausting in places ... but the filmmakers manage to keep things fast-paced and funny enough".[18]
Muriel Del Don of Cineuropa found the film "captivating and irreverent".[19]
Martin Kudlac of ScreenAnarchy found that the film "deftly balances" the two storylines, "making the journey of the sperms both an epic quest and a hilarious romp, while Jens and Lisa's story grounds the film in relatable teenage experiences."[20]
Tasha Robinson of Polygon found the film's plot "shallow" and the humour "juvenile", but the songs "catchy", the storytelling "weird and playful", and the parody elements "specific and pointed".[21]
Diego Semerene of Slant Magazine found the film to be "rife with playful metaphors and lacking all shame" and "a hilarious portrait of heterosexual relations in Northern Europe".[22]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Pham, Annika (15 June 2021). "After Tommy Wirkola's The Trip, 74 Entertainment turns to Spermageddon". Nordisk Film & TV Fond. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
- ^ "Spermageddon". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
- ^ a b Keslassy, Elsa (11 June 2021). "'Hansel & Gretel' Helmer Tommy Wirkola Teams With Charades For Animated Musical 'Spermageddon' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
- ^ Abbatescianni, Davide (18 June 2021). "Tommy Wirkola working on animated musical Spermageddon". Cineuropa. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
- ^ a b Lemercier, Fabien (11 May 2022). "Charades to sell two contenders for Cannes' Palme d'Or". Cineuropa. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
- ^ Larsen, Freddy Ludvik; Hovden, Martin (20 March 2024). "Tommy drar til Australia: – Nå ser det ut som vi er i mål". Altaposten (in Norwegian). Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ Lodderhose, Diana (4 May 2022). "International Disruptors: Charades Co-Founder Carole Baraton Talks Building Company's Eclectic Slate, Filmmaker Relationships & Why She's Optimistic For Business In Cannes". Deadline. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
- ^ "Les Projections" (PDF). Le Film français. 15 May 2024. p. 30. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "Annecy reveals the list of "gutsy" films part of its 2024 Midnight Specials". AnimationXpress. 20 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ^ "Midnight Specials: Spermageddon". Annecy Festival. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ^ Jin, Byeong-hun (10 July 2024). [BIFAN] 스퍼마게돈, 인사이드 아웃2·쿠키 다 나와…감정 있는 정자들이 온다. NBN TV (in Korean). Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ Taylor, Drew (15 August 2024). "Fantastic Fest 2024 Lineup Includes 'Rosemary's Baby' Prequel 'Apartment 7A,' 'Anora,' 'The Wild Robot'". TheWrap. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- ^ Romero, Miguel Ángel (17 July 2024). "Sitges 2024 anuncia sus películas: lo nuevo de Samara Weaving y Sebastian Stan, 'Apocalipsis Z', 'Terrifier 3' y más". 20 minutos (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ "Limelight: Spermageddon". International Film Festival Rotterdam. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
- ^ a b Balaga, Marta (11 June 2024). "'Feel-Good' Raunch-Fest 'Spermageddon' Scooped Up by Square One Entertainment: 'The Funniest Animation We Have Ever Seen' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ Treimo, Vilde (6 December 2024). "Fra pung til livmor: Aksel Hennie i hysterisk første trailer for "Spermageddon"". Filmweb (in Norwegian). Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ^ Ritman, Alex (17 July 2024). "Animated Sex Musical Comedy 'Spermageddon' Acquired for France by Originals Factory (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- ^ Mintzer, Jordan (14 June 2024). "'Spermageddon' Review: Outrageously Raunchy Animated Feature Seems Destined for Cult Status". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
- ^ Del Don, Muriel (19 June 2024). "Review: Spermageddon". Cineuropa. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
- ^ Kudlac, Martin (24 June 2024). "Annecy 2024 Review: SPERMAGEDDON, Outrageous Comedy Meets Heartwarming Sex-Ed in Year's Most Unlikely Family Film". ScreenAnarchy. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
- ^ Robinson, Tasha (23 September 2024). "I hope someone has the balls to import this Pixar-style animated musical about sperm". Polygon. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
- ^ Semerene, Diego (8 February 2025). "IFFR 2025: 'Spermageddon,' 'Don't Leave the Kids Alone,' 'Guo Ran,' & 'Wind, Talk to Me'". Slant. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
