Writer, first-time director, and lead actor Annapurna Sriram opens FUCKTOYS with her character, AP, a tarot reading from Big Freedia in the middle of a Louisiana swamp. AP finds out she’s cursed but it can easily be lifted for the paltry sum of $1,000. The sunlight is soft, the colors vibrant, and the 16mm film’s grain is at a “found in the basement of a grindhouse theater” level.
The scene is followed by a montage of hurricane-ravaged parts of Baton Rouge before landing on a dilapidated house with a mixed-gender fight club in the front yard and AP working as a femme dom in an upstairs bathroom.
Style AND Substance
Campy, queer, filthy, and unabashedly sex-positive, FUCKTOYS deftly weaves themes of modern spirituality and struggling against classism, racism, and misogyny throughout the story. Set in a pre-2000s alternative universe in and around Trashtown, the bizarre and unreal world is a character unto itself. It is brought to life by the thoughtful intentionality of Nichole McMinn’s production design and Chris Hynds costume design.
And thus the tone is set for FUCKTOYS. A fever dream, tarot-inspired odyssey by way of John Waters and Italian post-apocalyptic films shot in 1980s NYC. AP and her twin flame, trans-masc Danni set out for second opinions, a baby lamb, and enough money to pay for the curse-ending ritual. Danni, just paroled from prison, remains dubious but always supportive as AP drags the two of them into literally anything to reach her goals.
Capturing the world with a distinct, classic exploitation era aesthetic, Cory Fraiman-Lott’s cinematography never feels gaudy or pastiche. The amazing cast all know exactly what film they’re in and deliver authentic, unique, and moving performances. Add to all of the above bold editing choices and a pace that never lags from editor Lilly Wild and you end up with a movie that wears its influences on its sleeves and yet carves out its own unique identity.
A singular vision
All of which speaks to the singleness of vision from first-time filmmaker Annapurna Sriram, who wrote the film eight years ago after a psychic told her she’d never achieve the career she wanted in her current relationship. I would personally like to thank that psychic and look forward to wherever Sriram’s filmmaking endeavors take her next.
Our take?
This movie will not be for everyone (especially any prudes in the Junkfood Cinema audience). But for those whose ears perked up along the way, FUCKTOYS will be an absolute delight. So grab yourself a powdered doughnut, a boozy, over-the-top cocktail, and your raunchiest friend for a trip to Trashtown, USA.
Kev is a member of the Fantastic Fest features programming team, an aspiring screenwriter, and a seasoned marketing copywriter. They are a passionate champion of festival midnighters and loves to amplify the voices of underserved filmmakers — the weirder their films, the better.
