Review: ‘Sausage Party’

“Sausage Party” is the story of how a fella named Frank goes on a journey of discovery, as he always “knew” one truth about The Great Beyond but then suddenly was presented with evidence that showed him something else, something that propelled him to figure out what really awaits everyone in the next world, and he becomes determined to take this new information and let everyone else know about it so they can all be in on the grand ultimate truth together.

You see, when things start out, Frank (Seth Rogen) and Brenda (Kristen Wiig) are just a couple of lovebirds waiting for the correct, predetermined time for them to be able to consummate their love, and they are surrounded by like-minded folks all wanting the same thing. And near them are other groups, with differences throughout but still all united under one common theme – awaiting The Great Beyond. In The Great Beyond they know they only have good things waiting for them, and these good things change depending on what each group wants, but it all boils down to “good times for all.” Everyone is so excited for the grandness of The Great Beyond that they are desperate to get their soon, hoping every morning that would be the day they are chosen to move on.

But then Frank goes on a reluctant hero’s journey, traversing through new lands and discovering new people – he gets outside of his bubble and he gets a bigger perspective, and with this comes the realization that The Great Beyond is not what they all thought it would be. Instead of a utopia where their dreams came true, The Great Beyond was a temporary hellscape which ended in oblivion, and with evidence in hand, Frank becomes determined to awaken the sleeping masses to the truth that awaits them all.

In this regards, “Sausage Party” is a meditation on the possibility of an afterlife as well as a warning to new atheists about the proper way to “spread their message.” Indeed this movie says outright that compassion and understanding is more important than making someone else see your own point of view, and why you may know “the truth,” that doesn’t mean you need to go around bludgeoning people with this like a hammer. Religion can help people cope with the very possible meaningless of existence, because most folks don’t want to go around thinking about how their is nothing greeting them when they die, that death is simply the end of it all, people need to believe there is something more, and religion allows for this, which then means people can live in this life without being anxious about what happens in the next one.

Until religion goes too far in the other direction, of course, and then a heaven and hell dynamic is created, so now the afterlife can have a possible punishment as well as a possible reward, something that has to be worked for somehow. And if there is a rewarding afterlife, that would compel some religious people to want to get through this life even faster, hurry up and get it over with, because why spend more time here when there is so much better? Frank and his friends just keep waiting to get chosen so they can leave, and others keep fighting over territory so they can have a better chance at The Great Beyond, when in reality everything they need or want is right in front of them and they are missing it because they are too busy trying to gain Divine attention.

“Sausage Party” definitely makes the case for an atheistic Rationalist Satanism over any other sort of monotheist or polytheist philosophies, ultimately arguing that epicureanism – a rejecting of predetermination in favor of enjoying the pleasures afford by being in the here and now, without fear of what might come in The Great Beyond – is the more fulfilling and honest way of living, which would lead ultimately to a more socially harmonious and understanding society. This is also quite a non-religious antinomian stance, and it can also be argued that it would all just resort to outright hedonism to the worst degree, but according to “Sausage Party,” this is still better than sitting around doing nothing and waiting for eternal nothingness to come whisk us away.

Also this is an animated movie about foods and other consumer goods that talk but it is rated R so there are lots of sex jokes, and some foods smoke weed out of a kazoo, and they say fuck a lot, and there’s a food orgy, and also some murder.

So take the kids.