Street Trash

Street Trash directed by Ryan Kruger is a cheeky, deeply chaotic and occasionally brilliant sequel to the 1987 cult film directed by J. Michael Muro and written by Roy Frumkes. Reimagined for a modern audience, this iteration is not simply an update but a geopolitical extrapolation, combining the grotesque horror of molten bodies with an equally terrifying critique of society's neglect and inequality. Ryan Kruger moves the story from New York's gutter to South Africa's sprawling, layered city of Cape Town, swapping urbanity for dystopian decadence and amplifying his scathing social commentary in the process.

The film begins with a ferocious overture, showing Cape Town's corrupt mayor, Mostert (Warrick Grier), unveiling a heinous chemical weapon disguised as Viper gas, which melts the city's homeless into puddles of neon. As Ryan Kruger introduces us to this horrific world, we meet Ronald (Sean Cameron Michael), a drug-addicted patriarch who becomes a beacon of resilience for a small community of homeless. Ronald's circle includes the charismatic Chef (Joe Vaz), the chaotic 2-Bit (Gary Green), siblings Pap (Shuraigh Meyer) and Wors (Lloyd Martinez Newkirk), and newcomer Alex (Donna Cormack-Thomson). Together, they form a combative, provocative family that navigates an oppressive city.

Ryan Kruger and co-writer James C. Williamson blend the absurdity of burlesque with moments of raw realism. The group dynamic is vibrant, especially when Alex is integrated into the family, although the film often veers towards the surreal. 2-Bit's imaginary friend, the crude puppet Sockle (played by Ryan Kruger), becomes emblematic of the film's tone: part black comedy, part grotesque farce. Sockle is both comic relief and a symbol of 2-Bit's fractured psyche, even if his antics risk undermining the film's emotional weight.

The images, orchestrated by cinematographer Fabian Vettiger, are dazzlingly dark. Ryan Kruger relies heavily on the fusion film sub-genre, with effects supervisor Kevin Bitters and prosthetics designer Adrian Smith creating a parade of body horror spectacles. Neon greens, searing pinks and viscous yellows ooze across the screen, evoking both the grotesque joy of the 1987 original and a more contemporary visual sophistication. The fusion scenes are a carnival of decomposition, but their repetitive nature sometimes blunts their impact, with the film struggling to match the visceral inventiveness of J. Michael Muro's singular splatter sequences.

What sets this sequel apart is its overt political edge. The first Street Trash revelled in an anarchic, nihilistic depiction of the disenfranchised, painting its homeless characters as tragic victims of their environment. Ryan Kruger's vision, by contrast, is one of community and resistance. The introduction to Mayor Mostert's clean-up campaign is a scathing indictment of modern neoliberal governance, where economic systems prioritize profits over people. By turning homelessness into a grotesque spectacle, Kruger asks audiences to grapple with the dehumanization of vulnerable populations - a critique that resonates as much in Cape Town as in the rest of the world.

However, this social message sometimes becomes heavy-handed. The villains, like the tyrannical Mayor Mostert, verge on caricature, their motivations simplistic compared to the rich emotional interiority of the film's protagonists. There's also a loss of the gritty, insular atmosphere that made the original film such a powerful shock to the system. Kruger's decision to broaden the scope of the narrative dilutes the intimacy of the story. Although Ronald's gang is endearing, their rebellion against systemic oppression seems almost too properly heroic, lacking the anarchic unpredictability that defined the 1987 version.

Despite its flaws, Street Trash (2024) manages to modernize the franchise without losing its messy, irreverent soul. The film's third act - a cacophony of neon-lit rebellion - leans heavily towards the kind of gonzo gorefest that fans of the original will appreciate. Ronald and Alex's leadership of an uprising transforms the film into a cathartic spectacle, where the disenfranchised literally melt down their oppressors in a grotesque reversal of power. It's an unsubtle but deeply satisfying “eat the rich” metaphor that aligns with Kruger's broader critique of systemic inequality.

Donna Cormack-Thomson's performance as Alex is particularly remarkable, anchoring the film's wackier elements in genuine emotion. Her journey from bewildered newcomer to defiant fighter is one of the sequel's strongest narrative threads, and her chemistry with Sean Cameron Michael's Ronald gives the story much-needed heart. Together, they form the beating heart of a film that otherwise risks being overwhelmed by its chaotic, scattered tone.

Street Trash is an ambitious but uneven spectacle. It honors its predecessor with a fresh coat of slimy paint while daring to tackle heavier issues. Though it occasionally falters under the weight of its ambition, the film is a worthy addition to the fusion film canon, proving that even the most irreverent horror subgenres can carry a message. Ryan Kruger's version may not reach the iconic heights of the 1987 original, but it forges a distinct, messy identity of its own. Fans of splatter cinema and socially conscious horror will find plenty to enjoy here - but don't expect to keep your stomach intact, and we wouldn't recommend this film on your lunch break or in the cinema while eating popcorn on pain of massive indigestion.

Street Trash
Directed by Ryan Kruger
Produced by David Franciscus, Ryan Kruger, Matt Manjourides, Justin A. Martell
Written by Ryan Kruger, James C. Williamson
Starring Sean Cameron Michael, Donna Cormack-Thomson, Joe Vaz, Lloyd Martinez Newkirk, Shuraigh Meyer, Gary Green, Warrick Grier, Andrew Roux, Ryan Kruger, Colin Moss, Carel Nel, Suraya Rose Santos, Jonathan Pienaar, Sidwell Diamond Ralitsoele, Tuks Tad Lungu, Grant Swanby, Johann Vermaak, Niklas Wittenberg, Deon Lotz
Music by Ebenhaezer Smal
Cinematography : Fabian Vettiger
Edited by Stephen Du Plessis
Production companies: Not the Funeral Home, Stage 5 Films, Protagonist
Distributed by Cineverse (United States), Lightbulb Film Distribution (UK)
Release date : November 19, 2024 (United States), January 10, 2024 (UK)
Running time : 85 minutes

Viewed: December 18, 2024 (press screener)

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