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7/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Tailspin Tommy remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a soft spot for 1930s aviation serials and don't mind a story that moves at the speed of a prop plane, you will probably dig this. However, if you need snappy dialogue or, you know, a budget that actually covers more than three locations, you might want to skip it. This is for the folks who like to watch things just to see how they were built back then.
The whole thing feels like it was cobbled together in a weekend, which is sort of its charm. There is this one scene where Tommy is tinkering with an engine, and I swear he is just turning the same bolt over and over for a solid minute. It’s oddly hypnotic.
The rivalry stuff between the two airlines feels like a playground dispute that got way out of hand. You have these guys in suits acting like they are running a global empire, but the stakes are just… mail? It’s cute.
Watching this reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in Galloping Ghosts, though with significantly fewer ghosts and way more oil stains. It shares that same 'let’s just keep the camera rolling' attitude that makes you forgive a lot of nonsense.
There is a moment about halfway through where the tension is supposed to be high because of a missing mail pouch, but the actor looks like he’s trying to remember if he left the oven on at home. It’s human. I liked it.
It’s not trying to be The World Changes. It’s just trying to fill a theater seat for twenty minutes before the main feature starts. ✈️
Honestly, the best part is just watching them climb into those tiny cockpits. Those things look like they are held together by twine and pure optimism. You can almost feel the wind rattling the frame.
Don't look for deep meaning here. You won't find it. But if you want to spend an hour watching people in goggles pretend to be heroes, you could do a lot worse.
