2023 SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
Troy (Hans Berlin) has lots of sex. Day and night he has sex, while living next door to Charlie (Michael Braun) and Thea (Adina Verson)–and the walls are thin, too thin. This isn’t just any sex, though, it’s loud, wild sex. As the young couple tries to deal with Troy’s carnal intrusion, they are forced to come to terms with a level of intimacy that they never knew existed. Now darkness creeps into their apartment building in New York City, and that intimacy that once plagued them has now become part of their daily lives.
Sometimes the things that mean the most to us don’t completely make sense to us. Sometimes we find ourselves obsessing over something that we don’t fully understand, but we know that it’s of importance. That’s where Charlie and Thea find themselves with their less-than-ideal neighbor. This level of intimacy, one that can’t really be explained, is beautiful–and it’s wonderfully represented throughout Troy. This is an odd journey, and it’s likely to make people uncomfortable to some degree–but I think it’s beautiful. I’d venture to guess that something like what Thea and Charlie experience has happened to some people, and those people will understand the struggle–but Writers Mike Donahue, Dane Laffrey, and Jen Silverman create a narrative that everyone can appreciate.
One of the most impressive aspects of Troy is…well, Troy. His body changes throughout the course of the film, and in such a short time. With the use of (I’m assuming) special effects, practical effects, and cinematography, Troy changes in just the right fashion, never too little or too much. This balance helps to progress time in an effective fashion, and time passing is incredibly important to the film. This seemingly insignificant detail is effectively one of the most important of Troy–and without the success of appropriately altering Berlin’s body throughout, I think much of the message is lost.
Troy is an interesting combination of woke and politically incorrect. From the opening moments it’s clear to viewers that there will be some underlying wokeness present, and then, just seconds later, we hear some pretty politically incorrect nomenclature. This blended narrative, one that will piss just about everyone off, manages, somehow, to work the other way. I feel that Troy ultimately becomes inviting to the many rather than the few. Director Donahue’s ability to reach a mixed audience, one from all walks of life, allows Troy the possibility to thrive–and it feels like it does just that.
This is one of the oddest ways in which a story of struggle, obsession, and love is told–but it’s found a place in cinema that appeals to a large audience. Troy uses loud, frustrating sex and thin walls to tell a story that we all understand, and that resonates with every single person.
Directed by Mike Donahue.
Written by Mike Donahue, Dane Laffrey, & Jen Silverman.
Starring Michael Braun, Adina Verson, Hans Berlin, Dylan Baker, Pooya Mohseni, Samantha Sherman, Kristin Villanueva, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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