Los Frikis – Review

This review is for a film originally viewed at the 22nd Annual Tallgrass Film Festival. Los Frikis will have a limited theatrical run starting December 25, 2024. WD;ED will update when the film becomes available either in theatres or on VOD.

Desperation and hope make disturbing bedfellows. The “Special Period” of Cuban economic crisis was one of shortages, forced labor, and fascist oppression. No wonder the “frikis,” rock ‘n’ roll youth in revolt, were pariahs hunted by Castro’s police force. Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz (Peanut Butter Falcon) start their incredible film in punk rock Havana and end it in a quiet nature, separated from the domestic crisis so these kids can finally be open.

Gustavo’s (Eros de la Puenta in their first acting gig) life is fraught with harsh reality. By day he joins his uncle in the sugar cane fields, by night he roadies for his cousin’s three-person punk band in an underground venue. Gustavo wants to be punk and feel the freedom his cousin, Paco (Héctor Medina), exudes from every pore but he lacks the savage edge. He doesn’t want to murder cats to eat, he can’t play any instruments, and doesn’t really look out for himself. When his uncle takes his family on a makeshift raft to Florida, Gustavo joins his cousin in purposely injecting themselves with HIV+ blood so they can be sent to a sanitorium. These facilities are allegedly lands of plenty, with AIDS-sufferers living out their days with food, private rooms, and comfort as they slowly succumb to the virus. Gustavo, horrified at the idea of being alone on the streets of Havana, asks a doctor to fake a positive test when he doesn’t contract the virus and joins Paco in a makeshift utopia. The group attempts to find some sort of idyllic outlook as they gaze into an uncertain future.

Nilson and Schwartz, together with producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs), are unafraid of shocking their audience even as they induce cackles. These punks are fun, at points literally shitting in the face of oppression and finding power in blood while they all cling to the hope that the disease won’t kill them. Each of the older boys merely views HIV as a type of flu, one that they’ve heard will be cured in less than a decade. The film’s body horror elements are sparse but direct as the youth learn the reality they’ve found for themselves isn’t so simple. Highs, lows, sex, death, triumph, and consequences are all played stark naked with no holds barred. Gustavo’s attempt to perform Nirvana’s “Come as You Are” is as awful as his first time having sex is intense, his loss of kin and country as devastating as his successful performance is winning.

Having such a game cast is part of the film’s success. Fully Cuban, with one highly notable exception, each member is delivering a raw performance that grows with each scene. The group feels comfortable together, which would be important for both the fictional scenario and the film set. They open up, they argue, they struggle, and they claw their way to the finale together. It feels real, and it’s a portrait of hope in one of the most devastating scenarios imaginable. And estimated 200-500 Cubans willingly contracted HIV in order to escape poverty and starvation during the “Special Period.” A heinous statistic that is unfortunately top of mind when thinking about other pockets of the world in this situation today.

Perhaps the film’s greatest asset is Hit Man‘s Adria Arjona. The actress’s turn in the sexy Netflix comedy gave her a mass audience, but Los Frikis gives her a spotlight as Maria, the sanitorium caregiver. Arjona, perhaps a more seasoned actress, gives her second incredible performance of 2024 and delivers joy, longing, sorrow, and regret. She often delivers these things all within the same facial expression. While the film centers around the brothers, Gustavo and Paco, it’s Maria’s pathos and understanding of pathos to compliment the rest of the cast’s cheer before descent into reality. Adria Arjona’s having a hell of a year, and with Los Frikis she turns in the best performance to date.

There are no hard and fast rules to what dictates a person’s reactions to life. Los Frikis comes out at a poignant time, one where public figures are openly suggesting that anyone that goes against party or their Christo-fascist ideals be jailed or executed. Nilson and Schwartz do not look away from this tie, but the focus remains on the consequences it will have for real people. These people’s names are not on hats, their visage not spray painted on walls, their words not endlessly praised or argued over or scrutinized. They’re people trying to live and acting out in the only way they can. This is one of the best films of 2024 and it’s slated for a limited theatrical run on Christmas Day, 2024. See it, if you can, or keep an eye out for a potential expanded run.