In Esteban Arango’s dreamy crime drama Ponyboi, it all starts with a drug deal gone wrong. Ponyboi (River Gallo), an intersex sex worker employed at a 24-hour laundromat, ends up with a briefcase full of cash and his violent pimp Vinny (Dylan O’Brien) after him on Valentine’s Day. On top of that, Ponyboi has just found out that his conservative Salvadoran father, who kicked him out of the house some years ago, is on his deathbed.
Throughout one dark New Jersey night, Ponyboi searches for safety, forgiveness, and connection, as he and a slew of other low-level criminals stumble through a mounting pile of mishaps. It’s a story we’ve seen before — The Safdie Brother’s Good Time comes to mind as a direct predecessor — but thanks to Gallo’s sharp screenplay and Arango’s intimate direction, Ponyboi goes beyond cliché for something more profound.
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Ponyboi’s Cast Delivers Great Performances, But River Gallo Is The MVP
- Ponyboi is a refreshing take on a crime drama
- River Gallo brings nuance to their character
- The film is profound and intimate
- Ponyboi has a few clichés, but not enough to bring the film down
O’Brien perfectly captures the scummy vibe of his no-good character, bouncing between the different shades of Vinny with ease. Often cast as the boy next door type, O’Brien’s roles of late have been more nuanced, particularly his insidious influencer in Not Okay. Here, he chews up the scenery with insidious verve, even as he’s wooing his girlfriend Angel, played by Victoria Pedretti. From the penciled-in brows to the leopard print fur coat, Pedrettii completely disappears into her Jersey trash role, and it’s a delight to watch.
However, it’s Gallo, who uses they/them pronouns, that provides Ponyboi with its beating heart. Gallo originated the role in a short film of the same name, which served as their USC thesis. As a feature, Gallo elevates the script beyond mere crime drama thanks to Ponyboi’s layered identity. They use every facet to infuse their performance with confidence that shines like a beacon of light in the dank Jersey night. Every moment has added weight as his father’s illness lingers in the background, the idea of forgiveness floating around as Ponyboi looks for a way out of the tangled mess.
Ponyboi Rises Above Its Crime Clichés
Ponyboi‘s biggest weakness happens to be the driving force of the plot — menacing Italian mobsters and cheeky sex workers are just some of the archetypes that feel immediately familiar. Even Murray Bartlett’s Bruce, a hot cowboy and, for a brief moment, Ponyboi’s guardian angel, feels familiar and, ultimately, too good to be true. The crushing weight of reality is all too real of a reminder, and Gallo’s unflinching perspective on an intersex sex worker grasping for a better life is a moving portrait.
Far too often, crime movies still easily fall prey to the male gaze, all shiny gunmetal and bruised and bloody fists. Ponyboi finds a way to feel fresh even when indulging in these very tropes. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, and it shouldn’t have to. What it does prove is that queer stories, more often than not, add new layers to narratives that have been done before.
Ponyboi
- Director
- Esteban Arango
- Cast
- Dylan O’Brien , Victoria Pedretti , Indya Moore
- Writers
- River Gallo
