

A sex-addicted con-man pays for his mother's hospital bills by playing on the sympathies of those who rescue him from choking to death.
Acting
Sam Rockwell weaponizes charm and desperation equally.
Writing
Palahniuk's voice survives adaptation shockingly intact.
Direction
Clark Gregg balances gross-out and genuine pathos.

Director
Clark Gregg
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Clark Gregg wrote the screenplay while acting in The West Wing; he kept his character's colonial outfit from the film. Palahniuk reportedly approved of the adaptation after hating Fight Club's ending changes.
This bombed hard ($4M worldwide) but became a cult Palahniuk curio. It captures pre-recession desperation—hustling for healthcare, performing trauma for cash—that feels more relevant now than 2008.