After her doppelgänger steals her amateur wrestling persona, a chemically dependent stuntwoman (Katsaros) descends into the world of underground “impact theater,” where every performance ends in a real knockout. To reclaim her identity, she must lose her last memory.
Rumors swirl around the making of SMACK-UP: Toby Dick Studio - Kaitlyn Katsaros - SMACK-UP ...
SMACK-UP serves as a critique of how stunt performers are discarded. Katsaros performs most of her own falls (she broke two ribs during the “stairs of regret” sequence). The film’s closing credits list eleven doctors and one orthopedist as “thank yous.” Rumors swirl around the making of SMACK-UP :
As of this writing, SMACK-UP has been rejected by Sundance, Cannes, and TIFF – “too dangerous,” said one programmer. However, it won the Dionysus Award at the Athens Avant-Garde Film Festival, with the jury citation: “Katsaros doesn’t act pain; she becomes the archive of it.” On Letterboxd, early ratings average 3
Audience reactions are polarized:
On Letterboxd, early ratings average 3.9/5 – with tags like “body horror,” “cathartic,” and “please see a therapist.”