Ponyboi (2025) - Film Review

      Ponyboi, 2025.

      Directed by Esteban Arango.

      Starring River Gallo, Dylan O’Brien, Victoria Pedretti, Murray Bartlett, Keith William Richards, Indya Moore, Juan Carlos Hernández, Annie Henk, Miles Coreas, Stephen Moscatello, Jari Jones, NaTonia Monét, Aphrodite Armstrong, Denis Lambert, Jacobi Jones, Chiquitita, Moisés Acevedo, Sophie Labelle, Bryant Carroll, Michael Sean McGuinness, and Kevin McDonald.

      SYNOPSIS:

      Set on Valentine’s Day in New Jersey, a young intersex sex worker finds themselves fleeing from the mob after a drug deal goes awry, compelling them to face their past.

      Every so often, a film with a unique viewpoint emerges that is not only enjoyable to watch but occasionally stumbles by attempting to encompass too much, as if no one else will ever create a film of this nature, necessitating the inclusion of every potential angle and storyline. Consequently, some particularity is sacrificed for generality, meaning that even concepts that should feel innovative and bold become somewhat familiar.

      This reflects director Esteban Arango's Ponyboi (from a screenplay written by lead River Gallo, expanding upon their 2019 short film into this feature-length version that was accepted into Sundance 2024), which follows an intersex sex worker embroiled in a dangerous situation involving drugs and their unstable pimp, played by Dylan O’Brien with a fierce New Jersey authority, who is transitioning from young adult dystopian roles to more diverse characters. The protagonist also grapples with an identity crisis regarding their gender while occasionally delving into a dreamlike subplot, resulting in a somewhat chaotic narrative with uneven quality.

      Specifically, the filmmakers face challenges in orchestrating all the characters and plot elements into a cohesive, convincing storyline. The film appears somewhat disjointed, seemingly overwhelming the audience with an influx of story and characters from one scene to the next, lacking an engaging setup and presenting the characters without depth. It introduces one element after another that ultimately culminates in a complex scenario from which Ponyboi must escape alive.

      Taking place on Valentine’s Day, Ponyboi is a sex worker who is sexualized due to their intersex attributes, with Dylan O’Brien’s Vinny overseeing the laundromat from which his clients operate. Ponyboi is also friends with Vinny's pregnant girlfriend Angel (Victoria Pedretti), who works at the laundromat alongside them, both wearing matching best friend bracelets. After checking in on Angel and the laundromat, Vinny makes sexual advances towards Ponyboi that are not only uncomfortable but also manipulative, as he fetishizes their intersex body parts, employs whichever pronouns he chooses on an already uncertain individual, and does not seem to accept a refusal. During their sexual encounter, while there is technically consent, the reality portrays a closeted man exploiting an intersex person for his pleasure, compounded by Vinny's infidelities.

      Vinny is also involved in the designer drug scene, having organized a potentially profitable deal. When a mafia figure arrives at the laundromat seeking prostitution, he insists on using some of the drug, leading to his demise during intercourse. Ponyboi does not immediately realize this, opting to endure the unpleasant encounter by imagining the cruel, unattractive man as someone else—a gentle cowboy from Las Vegas (Murray Bartlett) who proposes an adventure. This desire for the man also highlights unresolved issues with Ponyboi’s father, who never accepted them and forced them through surgeries to conform more to a boy's image. As more scenes with this mysterious figure unfold, a contrast emerges: he embodies the acceptance that Ponyboi wishes they had received from their father, suggesting that much of this may be a fantasy in Ponyboi's mind.

      Nevertheless, narratives centered on LGBTQ acceptance have become more widespread. Whether real or imagined, this theme and the question of whether Ponyboi should visit their terminally ill father (the nickname stemmed from a potentially innocent fascination with ponies or a more hurtful mockery of their identity) often obstruct the engaging thrill of witnessing an intersex individual navigating the criminal underworld, striving to succeed amidst hardship, pilfer cash, and escape this existence. The resolution of the personal story feels simplistic and hollow since it conflicts with a distinctly different, bolder movie. The film is more captivating, albeit still somewhat formulaic, when it presents Ponyboi as a cat-and-mouse chase against a deranged antagonist whose secrets unravel quickly, leading to his life spiraling out of control. However, this aspect can also seem overly melodramatic rather than genuinely complex.

      Regardless, River Gallo delivers a compelling performance, likely drawing from personal experiences, which may also clarify the overwhelming amount of content packed into its 95-minute runtime. The character's identity crisis