While Pecker is standard Waters fare for transgressive filmmaking, the movie doesn’t contain the absurdly vulgar dialogue or plot devices that many of the director’s other works are known for. Rather, the film is more akin to much of the work he committed himself to in the latter part of the 1980s and throughout the 1990s.
With less shock and schlock than Female Trouble or Polyester, and certainly more mainstream appeal than the cult classic Pink Flamingos, Pecker seems to be a toned-down version of Waters’ imagination, though it still checks all the boxes for great satire and solid overall filmmaking.
Currently, the only way to view Pecker is to rent the movie on Apple TV+.