Calling Ebony & Ivory an absurdist comedy would be a massive understatement. Calling it pure nonsense would also be an enormous understatement. Written and directed by Jim Hosking, Ebony & Ivory is a fictional, satirical retelling of the meeting between Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder to create a legendary song. After sailing to England in a small rowboat, Stevie Wonder (Gil Gex) finds himself in a “Scottish Cottage” and in the company of Paul McCartney (Sky Elobar). What follows is avant-garde, experimental, and just plain weird as the two musicians ponder life’s dumbest questions.
The actual foundation and pure bones of the story in Ebony & Ivory are simple. Paul and Stevie meet up, but rather than create music, they smoke weed, discuss vegetarian options, argue about pronunciation, and drink hot chocolate. Very little connects the fictional Stevie and Paul to their real-life counterparts beyond the fact that Paul is English and Stevie is blind. Ebony & Ivory is more than satirical, as it sets up a series of bits that blend into each other like a fever dream.
Gex and Elobar alone make up most of the screen time. Their performances fit the vibe of the film, fusing elements of absurdism, surrealism, and stone comedies into Ebony & Ivory‘s already diverse array of flavors and takes on comedy. The opening and premise suggest a film akin to Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, but instead opts to abandon traditional storytelling and joke structure altogether. Many jokes more than overstay their welcome, with the “punchlines” often being repeated upwards of six or seven times per scene. Based on the depictions and overall narrative, Jim Hosking may be either the biggest fan of Stevie & Paul in the world or their most vocal critic. However, by the end of the film, it’s quite possible Hosking has no idea who either Paul McCartney or Stevie Wonder is beyond basic appearance.
The phrase “so bad, it’s good” is often used in film circles and can be a legitimate path to cult status and stardom, although it’s rarely intentional. Plan 9 From Outer Space went from a complete joke to a beloved cult classic, earning itself the title “worst film ever made,” but it led to a bio-pic on Ed Wood and played at the Turner Classic Movies film festival in 2021. The Room receives similar treatment, spawning an Oscar-nominated film about its making, and drawing in droves of fans screaming “You’re tearing me a part, Lisa” at midnight showings across the world. Moments of Ebony & Ivory verge into so-bad-it’s-good territory. Yet, the majority of the movie is so over-the-top, nonsensical, and bizarre without context that calling it so bad, it’s good seems like Stockholm Syndrome.
There might be a chance at a cult classic in Ebony & Ivory. Guessing which films become a Birdemic or which films fade like Ouji Shark is never easy to tell. Ebony & Ivoy is unique to the bitter end. Those involved in the creation definitely had a vision and wanted to make something beyond absurdism. However, the constant repetition of punchlines, the lack of a cohesive identity for the characters, and aggressive psychedelic sequences make Ebony & Ivory a rough watch. Someday Ebony & Ivory could share the same space as Samurai Cop or The Velocipastor, yet it lacks the charm and stakes that let so many cult classics earn their cult status. As for how history will remember this wild take on Wonder & McCartney, only time and audiences will tell.
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