Running Time: 93 Minutes
Starring: Kevin Singh, Donovan Workun, Ahmed Ahmed, Brandon Vanderwall, Claire Theobald, Shioban Theobald, Allison Bench
In Edgar Wright's romantic-zombie-comedy, Shaun of the Dead, there is an ingenious scene which captures everyday life falling apart due to the zombie apocalypse. As the titular character flicks through TV channels, the great editing sees sentences formed across different channels to describe what is happening in humorous form. If you imagine that ingenuity unfolding for an entire film, you will have Buffet Infinity.
Writer/Director Simon Glassman opens his film with static, to mimic the feeling of turning on an old-school television. A mass of logos soon appear on-screen, saying the film's title in various fonts, before viewers are thrown into the madness.
Across the numerous fake commercials, the audience are given a taste of life within Westridge County. Amongst them is an advert for Jenny's Sandwich Shop, a local business celebrating their tenth anniversary while advertising their famous secret sauce. Soon after that, an announcement arrives for a new buffet that will open soon, right by a sinkhole. A back-and-forth unfolds through the televisual marketing, as the two business try outdoing each-other in-between thinly veiled insults.
Through this interesting experiment, Glassman crafts a fascinating story discernible through the numerous advertisements and news reports. A "David & Goliath" style battle unfolds as a home-grown business tries staying afloat, with the community at risk while a large corporation threatens to swallow up all others in its way. But there is much more occurring within Westridge, as there are mentions of missing animals, a constant noise that nobody can find the source of, and a science-fiction author that a cult adores.
It is all initially disarming, with local advertisements brought alive in a knowing fashion that recreates the low-budget attempts we have all seen. No matter how many misspellings, half-hearted songs, and stilted line readings the adverts contain, it is reflective of the determined business owners that want to make their small dreams thrive. Viewers become familiar with the repeated inclusions, such as a superhero battle over a car dealership, a small-time law office, and a woman's worsening life advertising insurance.
But, through all of the plastered smiles, an increasing darkness becomes evident through the repeated appearances. The mask progressively slips, leaving this once charming town to become a nightmare swallowed up by a cult, where propaganda runs rife, once-defiant businesses fall in line, and those once happy are left shells of themselves. It is a surreal way to depict real-life issues, and effectively captures the resignation to live in fear under a seemingly unstoppable juggernaut. Through such oppression, a once-charming home transforms into a place where innocence dies.
As the proceedings grow cosmic and increasingly unsettling, the result resembles Invasion of the Body Snatchers through the lens of Too Many Cooks. Unease is drawn from simple ideas, with a quirky and unsettling energy effectively bringing them alive, while wrapped around the ways misinformation is weaponised to combat truthful revelations. It all feels like an inescapable nightmare, resulting in the end arriving not with a whimper, but with a toe-tappingly memorable bang. Buffet Infinity is a one of a kind work that will stick in your mind, and is an utter masterpiece.
Buffet Infinity played at Overlook Film Festival 2026. It is available in select U.S. cinemas from 24th April and Video-on-Demand from May 8th.
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