After starting his career playing a handful of despicable villains in the likes of Robin Hood, Sucker Punch, and Drive, Guatemalan-born actor Oscar Isaac became Hollywood's unlikeliest heartthrob thanks to his breakout role as a sadsack musician in the Coen Bros.' 2013 film Inside Llewyn Davis. The two years since then have been full of compelling and varied roles by Isaac, including a mob boss (A Most Violent Year), a genius scientist (Ex Machina), a young mayor (Show Me A Hero, which won him a Golden Globe), and a hotshot fighter pilot (Star Wars: The Force Awakens). Now, we can add one more role to the ever-growing list: a heartbroken and homicidal man in Oscar Isaac's short film Ticky Tacky .
The short was written and directed by young actor/filmmaker Brian Petsos, who once starred in a low-budget comedy Revenge For Jolly! alongside Isaac back in 2012. Ticky Tacky revolves around Isaac's Lucien, and what unfolds after his humorously young henchman reveals a shocking infidelity. The violent little film was made in 2014 and premiered on ShortOfTheWeek.com in December of last year — but now it's been posted on Vimeo in all its glory so everyone can witness this truly bonkers performance by Isaac.
Here are the 12 best Oscar Isaac moments in Ticky Tacky.
1. His Unabashed Love Of Donuts
He's just like the rest of us, you guys.
2. His Temper Tantrum
Lucien's reaction to learning that his girlfriend and his cousin have been "social" is both heartfelt and hilarious, as he feebly knocks some books from his overcrowded shelves.
3. His "Favorite"
When his little henchman Gabriel brings him four guns to choose from, Lucien gleefully picks one out, aims it at his random stuffed bear, and happily declares it his "favorite." It's adorable in a totally twisted way.
4. This Look
When Lucien's girlfriend Claire presents him with a tacky Eiffel Tower souvenir from her phony trip to Paris (her alibi while she was actually shacking up with his cousin Nikolai), the look on Lucien's face says it all.
5. The Way He Says "Brilliant"
Seriously, the way he says "brilliant" is brilliant. It's perhaps the single most excruciatingly drawn out line-reading since Alan Rickman kept us all in suspense as Professor Snape.
6. How Unfazed He Is
Kind of my favorite part about this whole movie is the way absolutely nobody ever comments on the fact that Nikolai is wearing a Santa suit. It's never mentioned, never explained, and Lucien remains as cool as a cucumber throughout.
7. His Hospitality
Shortly after dropping the bomb that he knows of their infidelity, Lucien is sure to offer his guests a bowl of nuts. Because Oscar Isaac is always a great host.
8. His Laugh
I mean, I pretty much had the same reaction when Nikolai told his cousin that he was going to whisk Claire off somewhere romantic like Detroit. Or Atlantic City. Lucien can't stop laughing the whole time he's putting on his black leather gloves, drawing his pistol, and shooting his cousin in the chest. Amazing.
9. Again With The Nuts
"You maniac, you killed him! You're nuts!" screams Claire after Lucien shoots Nikolai. "You want some nuts?" Lucien asks innocently, mishearing his blubbering girlfriend. Classic.
10. His Tone Of Surprise
Considering the fact that he just killed her lover, Lucien's shocked reaction when Claire tells him she hates him is amusingly sincere.
11. His Gasoline Dance
And the whole things caps off with Lucien doing a strange ballet around his office, dousing the whole place with gasoline. It's bizarre and macabre and absolutely delightful all at the same time.
12. His Smoldering Stare
God, couldn't you just fall into those chocolatey brown eyes? Is it wrong to be so attracted to someone who's about to self-immolate? Maybe a little? Whatever, I'm not ashamed.
This year, you'll be able to catch Isaac on the big screen as the titular villain in May's X-Men: Apocalypse and then alongside Christian Bale in the period epic The Promise. Then, of course, he'll return as dreamy Poe Dameron in Star Wars: Episode VIII in 2017 — hopefully turning all of those Poe/Finn memes into canon in the process. In the meantime, check out all 15 gloriously strange minutes of Ticky Tacky below.
Images: A Saboteur/Vimeo (12)
