Who or what is a fried Barry? Abducted by aliens after his latest bender, a junkie (Gary Green) plays unwitting host to an extra-terrestrial bodysnatcher. His consciousness switched out for that of the alien invader’s, Barry takes a backseat as it wanders the streets of Cape Town in his body. First on its tour of Earth? The seediest nightclubs Cape Town has to offer, wasting little time in getting acquainted with the pleasures of the flesh.
This grimy, seedy sci-fi film takes the basic concept of 2013’s Under the Skin and substitutes the lovely Scarlett Johansson with a repulsive Frank Gallagher-alike. It’s The Man Who Fell to Earth with Libertines-era Pete Doherty instead of David Bowie. Gary Green is perfectly cast as Barry, his otherworldly features convincing both as alien and (with no disrespect to Green) drug-addled weirdo. Director Ryan Kruger gets his appeal though and, just as the men and women of Earth can’t help but succumb to Barry, we too are inclined to agree that there’s something strangely alluring about the man.
As per Under the Skin and Brandon Cronenberg’s recent Possessor, story plays second fiddle to the visuals. Fried Barry is a torrent of bizarre, unsettling and occasionally even horrific imagery; sometimes dreamlike, sometimes nightmarish. While there are times that the film resembles a glorified music video, it never feels overly padded out or inert. There are over ninety minutes of Fried Barry; none of them wasted. Novelty starting to wear off? Here’s an impromptu chainsaw fight with a child-kidnapping psychopath.
This wacky, grotty work of sci-fi body horror won’t be for everyone, but there’s no denying its drug and alien-addled charm – bursting with humour, wit and… yes, even warmth. Who or what is a fried Barry? Fried Barry is a trip, and an unforgettable one.
Release Date: May 7th (Shudder)
