USA
2019 105 mins OV English
At a small New York theatre, an ageing magician comes up with a devilish plan to save his piece of old New York by invoking some real black magic. Harsh realities and fantastic illusions come together in BLACK MAGIC FOR WHITE BOYS, Onur Tukel’s latest film, a bizarre comic adventure about gentrification, race and bodily autonomy in New York City. With over 50 minutes of new footage, Tukel has completely reworked a project initially presented in 2017 as a four-episode series at Tribeca into a gnarly and charmingly weird dark comedy. Balancing edgy misanthropy with a strain of silly sweetness, this is an intimate low-budget parable about the changing face of New York City.
Tukel’s talent for breezy, fast-paced satire has put him on the map with films like SUMMER OF BLOOD and CATFIGHT. Highlighting the hypocrisy of hyper-individualism by turning his acerbic sense of humour inward (he not only writes and directs but acts), BLACK MAGIC FOR WHITE BOYS is a wicked indictment of our society’s worst impulses. With on-the-street cinematography by Jason Banker (director and DOP of TOAD ROAD, he also shot SUMMER OF BLOOD), the film showcases a version of New York City rarely seen on the big screen. A bright and dreamy of-the-moment vision, BLACK MAGIC FOR WHITE BOYS channels the merciless vibes of a humanist cynic. In a social climate of cloying politeness, Tukel’s a much-needed voice of (un)reason. Often genuinely shocking, his provocative and cringe-inducing comedy dares the audience to take things the wrong way, revealing uncomfortable truths about the world we live in. – Justine Smith
