Movies by Tom Schiller

Tom Schiller is a delightfully off-kilter filmmaker with a penchant for the absurd and a keen eye for the oddities of everyday life. Drawing from his extensive background in sketch comedy as a longtime writer and director for Saturday Night Live, Schiller's films are brimming with surreal humor, wry social commentary, and a playful disregard for conventional narrative. Whether crafting a melancholy portrait of the poet Henry Miller ("Henry Miller Asleep & Awake") or chronicling the caffeine-fueled exploits of a "Java Junkie," Schiller's distinctive visual style and deadpan comedic sensibilities lend an endearing quirkiness to even his most mundane subject matter. His short films for SNL, featuring regular collaborators like Phil Hartman, became beloved cult classics, showcasing Schiller's ability to wring big laughs from the smallest of moments. Beyond his television work, Schiller has directed several delightfully offbeat feature films, including the dreamlike fantasy "Nothing Lasts Forever" and the deliriously titled "Flapjack Floozie." Throughout his diverse body of work, Schiller emerges as a singular voice in American cinema, a filmmaker unafraid to venture into the absurd and the unexpected, always with a winking sense of mischief that sets his work apart.