Fried Barry (2020)
Drugs have been a natural catalyst for films get bizarre both with plot and visuals for decades. Where most films keep their drug-induced rage to a few memorable scenes, some films go all out filling every second of their runtime with absolute chaos as is the case with Ryan Kruger's Fried Barry which is playing as part of the 2020 Fantasia International Film Festival. Barry (Gary Green) is already a drug addict holding onto his life by a string when he is abducted by aliens and gains fantastical powers, which he follows up by going on a bender.
The immediate thing to stick out from Fried Barry is the visuals within it. In an often harsh and aggressive matter, Fried Barry feels like a dirty Climax which also happens to be on steroids. This is an extremely grotesque, sexual, and uncomfortable world brought to life by chaotic cinematography from Gareth Place and an intense color design. The major thing to set this film apart from films such as Climax is the intended result of this tone. Where Climax was a tension-filled thriller, Fried Barry is more concerned with exciting the audience and taking them on a bizarre yet enjoyable rollercoaster ride. One of the most standout visuals from the entire film is that of Barry himself. Especially after the abduction, the film shoots Barry in a threatening sense that commands attention whenever he fills the screen which is a testament to both the camerawork and transformative performance from Gary Green.
Undoubtedly in this chaos, the film dances with going a bit too far in multiple ways. One of the major ones is how it treats the LGBTQ+ community. In a technique that feels painfully similar to that of Diane Arbus, Fried Barry walks a fine line of using the LGBTQ+ community as a source of spectacle. From gay sex in the bathroom to those from the trans community trying to seduce Barry, the film fails to handle these elements with the grace needed to feel as if the film isn't using these identities as a thing to laugh at highlighting them in a judgmental and unwelcoming light. Even if the film didn't intend to show the community as something bizarre in the context of modern society, it undeniable makes the first act feel gross in the worst type of way and can leave a bad taste in the audience's mouth even after the film moves on from the subject.
With that said, the film does move on from this by the end of the first act and the remainder of the film is enjoyable. Even if it lacks a ton of depth, the majority of Fried Barry is a rollercoaster that is enjoyable enough to go on. Had the story been a bit cleaner and the characters more fleshed out, the film easily could have gone to the next level but instead, it stays as an enjoyable yet at times gross comedy that is going to rub plenty the wrong way while also taking some along for the ride. This is something the film clearly is aware of considering it opens with a warning of what is to come. For those who like wild and often upsetting rides, check out Fried Barry at your own risk. For those on the fence, it is probably better just to stay away.
With that said, the film does move on from this by the end of the first act and the remainder of the film is enjoyable. Even if it lacks a ton of depth, the majority of Fried Barry is a rollercoaster that is enjoyable enough to go on. Had the story been a bit cleaner and the characters more fleshed out, the film easily could have gone to the next level but instead, it stays as an enjoyable yet at times gross comedy that is going to rub plenty the wrong way while also taking some along for the ride. This is something the film clearly is aware of considering it opens with a warning of what is to come. For those who like wild and often upsetting rides, check out Fried Barry at your own risk. For those on the fence, it is probably better just to stay away.