Fantasmas

There are stories within stories in Fantasmas, which like most of Torres’ work, favors style, theme, and emotion over a straightforward plot. And it works because of Torres’ strong vision: you’re supposed to get lost in his kaleidoscopic world and eventually find yourself through his emotional guides. That’s what makes Fantasmas (and Torres) accessible. There is an undercurrent of relatability in everything he does, so no matter how bizarre and out there his concepts are, real hopes and fears always ground them. There’s his constant dread of being kicked out of his country, and his worry of selling out to suffocating corporations. There’s the isolation of big cities and the limitations of identity. All that in technicolor and dynamic form is what makes Fantasmas (and, again, Torres) so intoxicating to watch.

Julio Torres spins a fantastical tale of when he lost a gold oyster earring. In his search to find the precious object, Julio reflects on the offbeat characters he encounters in introspective, often eerie, and always comedic vignettes set in a dreamy, alternate version of New York City.