: Reviewers from Sarah G. Vincent Views note that the high school setting allows the film to use body horror as a metaphor for the natural discomfort and "ickiness" of adolescence.

The most significant aspect of the film is director public disavowal. West, now a celebrated genre filmmaker ( X , Pearl ), envisioned a satirical, idiosyncratic film influenced by John Waters and Todd Solondz .

Despite the fractured narrative, the film is often praised for its "sleaze-factor" and practical effects.