As a South African, it’s a little bit weird when we only hear about local films after they’ve already been and gone on the international movie circuit. This is the case with Fried Barry, the sci-fi/comedy/horror feature-length directorial debut of Ryan Kruger.
Just in time for Halloween, this genre-hopping film with cult appeal is coming to DStv Box Office next week, on 26 October. Fried Barry isn’t exactly new, though. It debuted at the 2020 Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival, after which it earned 59 official selections and 13 awards at various film festivals around the world; achieved an 80% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes; and was picked up for distribution by Shudder in March 2021.
The film centres on Barry (Gary Green), a lowlife, drug-addicted father and husband living a middle-class nightmare. After yet another bender, Barry is walking home in the dead of night and gets beamed up into an alien spacecraft. He’s subjected to unimaginable procedures and his body becomes possessed by an alien visitor.
The alien takes Barry’s body for a joyride through the strangest and darkest avenues of Cape Town, South Africa. Along the way, he learns about the weird and unforgiving world of humankind.
International publications have been heaping praise on Fried Barry for its acting, humour and surrealist style, calling it a “cult-classic in the making”, so it’s about time that we got to see this home-grown grindhouse rollercoaster for ourselves. From the critical response, and synopsis, it sounds like it could be another South African-made sleeper hit like District 9 – only far (and unapologetically) weirder.
Starring Gary Green, Chanelle De Jager, Johnny Pienaar, Bia Hartensen and Sean Cameron Michael, Fried Barry premieres on DStv Box Office as a Cinema Premiere on 26 October 2021.