Ponyboi
Summary
In Esteban Arango ’s dreamy offence dramaPonyboi , it all starts with a drug quite a little kick the bucket wrong . Ponyboi ( River Gallo ) , an intersex sex activity worker employed at a 24 - minute launderette , end up with a briefcase full of cash and his tearing ponce Vinny ( Dylan O’Brien ) after him on Valentine ’s Day . On top of that , Ponyboi has just found out that his conservative Salvadoran Father of the Church , who kicked him out of the business firm some age ago , is on his deathbed .
Throughout one dismal New Jersey dark , Ponyboi search for safety , forgiveness , and connexion , as he and a slew of other low - level felon hit through a mounting pile of mishaps . It ’s a level we ’ve see before — The Safdie Brother’sGood Timecomes to mind as a direct predecessor — but thanks to Gallo ’s precipitous screenplay and Arango ’s sexual direction , Ponyboigoes beyond cliché for something more profound .
As the world continues to see wad of LGBTQ+ themed film , it proves that theatrical performance is more important than ever , with even more coming in 2024 .
Ponyboi’s Cast Delivers Great Performances, But River Gallo Is The MVP
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Cast
unfold over the course of Valentine ’s Day in New Jersey , a young intersex sex worker must run from the ring after a drug deal goes sideways , forcing him to confront his past .
O’Brien utterly charm the scummy vibration of his no - good theatrical role , bounce between the dissimilar shades of Vinny with ease . Often rove as the boy next door type , O’Brien ’s roles of later have been more nuanced , particularly his insidious influencer inNot Okay . Here , he chew up the scene with insidious verve , even as he ’s romance his girl Angel , played by Victoria Pedretti . From the penciled - in brows to the leopard print fur coating , Pedrettii completely disappears into her Jersey trash role , and it ’s a delectation to watch .
Every minute has added free weight as his father ’s illness linger in the desktop , the estimate of forgiveness floating around as Ponyboi looks for a way out of the tangled mess .
Dylan O’Brien and River Gallo in Ponyboi
However , it ’s Gallo , who employ they / them pronouns , that providesPonyboiwith its beating bosom . Gallo grow the use in a unforesightful film of the same name , which served as their USC thesis . As a feature , Gallo elevates the script beyond mere law-breaking drama thanks to Ponyboi ’s layered identity . They use every facet to infuse their operation with assurance that shine like a beacon of light in the dank Jersey Nox . Every moment has bestow exercising weight as his father ’s illness lingers in the scope , the melodic theme of pardon float around as Ponyboi looks for a way out of the tangled mess .
Ponyboi Rises Above Its Crime Clichés
Ponyboi ’s liberal weakness find to be the driving violence of the plot — menacing Italian mobsters and brash sexual activity workers are just some of the archetypes that feel right away familiar . Even Murray Bartlett ’s Bruce , a hot cowboy and , for a abbreviated bit , Ponyboi ’s guardian angel , feels familiar and , at last , too good to be true . The suppress weight of reality is all too real of a monitor , and Gallo ’s unflinching perspective on an androgyne sex worker get the picture for a better life is a moving portrait .
Far too often , crime movies still easy fall prey to the manly gaze , all glistening gunmetal and bruised and blinking fist . Ponyboifinds a way to feel fresh even when indulging in these very tropes . It does n’t reinvent the roulette wheel , and it should n’t have to . What it does essay is that homophile storey , more often than not , add new layers to narratives that have been done before .
Ponyboipremiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Dramatic Competition division .
Unfolding over the course of Valentine’s Day in New Jersey, a young intersex sex worker must run from the mob after a drug deal goes sideways, forcing him to confront his past.
