Smoking Causes Coughing

When a team of Power Rangers-like superheroes known as the Tobacco Force and their trusty robot are forced to take a one-week retreat, their team building exercises transform into an anthology of horror in the latest oddity from French provocateur Quentin Dupieux (“Rubber”—CIFF35; “Deerskin”—CIFF44). —M.G.

With their cancer-causing chemicals combined, Tobacco Force is the Captain Planet-meets-Power Rangers squad to be reckoned with. Although, lately, morale has been low for the anti-cigarette avengers. Donning their matching blue and yellow leotards, the five superheroes go on a retreat to regroup and boost their team spirit before facing the world’s most threatening villain, Lizardin. With occasional stints of excessive violence, gruesome campfire tales, and laugh-out-loud absurdity, SMOKING CAUSES COUGHING is nothing short of outrageously entertaining. The wild antics and treacherous consequences, albeit hilarious, may have first-timers thinking twice about taking that initial puff. It could ultimately be their devastating demise. —A.B.