Much like its central protagonist, Demir (Gem Deger), Playdurizm is not a film that cares much about labels. The film best expresses itself for what is by consistently disproving what it isn't. At first, Playdurizm opens like a 90s throwback erotic thriller with the promise of bloody sex on the horizon. But as the film continues, a much darker mystery reveals itself.

Playdurizm revolves around Demir, a young adult with a love of art who wakes up one day with amnesia -- and as a third-wheel in Andrew (Austin Chunn) and Drew's (Issy Stewart) drug-fueled BDSM-styled affair. In their techno-colored home, Demir feels out of place, and on a much deeper level, out of touch with himself. One thing is for certain, however, Demir develops romantic and lusty feelings for Andrew and does his best to repress this truth.

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Playdurizm

Playdurizm feels like the kind of VHS tape you'd stumble on in the back of a video rental store behind beaded curtains. Not too far into its runtime, the viewer learns that this effect is wholly intentional as Demir has somehow gotten stuck in one of his favorite campy videos. Cedric Larvoire's cinematography and the purposefully wooden performances of Chunn and Stewart sell this premise easily. To the film's credit, it doesn't overexplain why this happens to Demir. When the time comes for the truth to be expressed, it's done so with an additional layer of seriousness and enough visual cues for the reveal to hold up to rewatches.

At its heart, Playdurizm is a trippy mystery box film with a love of body horror. While there's not a ton of gore in this film, it's not shy about pulling, mending, and opening body parts to express its deeper themes. It's not easy to watch these moments happen but there's an added layer of depth to them as the body horror often revolves around Demir and Andrew connecting. Dealing with the feelings of wanting to look away in moments when they're at their closest is a fascinating contrast that no doubt is there to reflect others' homophobia.

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Playdurizm

But what might be even more charming about this film is how it reflects an aspect of the Queer experience that is incredibly hard to translate on-screen. We've all, at one time or another, struggled to know how to fit our feelings into a world that's often telling us to hide them or deny them to survive. In that light especially, Playdurizm accomplishes something great. Even if the mystery was never totally revealed, Queer audiences will instinctually know and relate to Demir's urge to escape into a pop-culture obsession to explore his sexuality. Watching Demir flirt and befriend his fictional obsession and find solace in that experience is a joy to watch.

After viewing the film, it's easy to imagine an alternative ending where the story's big twist isn't needed. There's enough to explore within this wily and bloody world and between Demir and Andrew without its darker reveal. However, it's fair to say that the harrowing ending reminds viewers of the dangers that Queer humans experience in the real world. The true gut-punch of the film is watching Andrew, a serial killer, realize this heinous moment is worse than anything he's ever done -- which is saying a lot. Don't go into this film expecting it to be just a fascinating "what if" story. Sure, that's there, and yes, it's still incredibly fun, but Playdurizm is also here to remind us why dark escapist fantasies exist in the first place.

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