Population 436

Population 436 (2006): Rockwell Falls, the town with the titular population number reminded me a bit of an old roach motel commercial, you can check in but you can’t check out. Jeremy Sisto plays a census taker who comes to town and finds out the population has been the same for hundreds of years. The town’s people are friendly but some are a bit off center and many are downright pixilated. The mayor is clearly hiding something and the town doctor seems unable to cope with ‘the fever’ which seems to strike regularly. If you’ve ever watched the old Twilight Zone you will find yourself in familiar territory. While not original, the movie does a reasonable job presenting its case for the town’s existence and its peculiarities. Sisto soon finds he is now considered a permanent resident and discovers what mechanism is used to keep population growth under control. The rest of the movie is about his attempts to leave town, avoid ‘the fever’ and the town doctor’s cure. The old saying ‘beauty is only skin deep’ sure applies to this town. The movie is rated R for: smiling lobotomy patients, brief nudity, a plethora of good ole boys, unhealthy festival queens, unhealthy light dimming, unhealthy health clinic, excessive voltage, excessive apple pies, and especially for the ‘modern’ hospital supporting the town.