CUFF 2021: Playdurizm Review

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Calgary Underground Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

Mental health and PTSD are heavy subjects that have been tackled in different ways in countless films. Playdurizm explores these themes in a very unique way. The story follows a teenager named Demir (Deger) who is thrown into a glitchy reality that seems both odd and dreamlike. Andrew (Chunn), his roommate in this world, gets him involved in numerous outlandish situations. There were a lot of things that didn’t make sense but it all manages to come together in a nice bow by the end. The only way to describe the film is a mixture of a VHS retro-style music video and an art house film. Filled with color and obscure imagery, the film implants itself into viewers’ minds. In the end, it is a profound journey of hallucinogens for the eyes.

Despite the imagery, Playdurizm is merely another example of style over substance. The film lacked enough of a story structure to keep viewers engaged. It is definitely a unique ride of the mind using colors and weird aesthetics that is very self aware. Having this self awareness allowed it some charm and personality. Genre film fans should find plenty to love here. That being said, there was plenty of creativity on display. The subject matter was delivered in a very respectful way which is hard to do with this level of severity which a lot of people will appreciate. Ultimately, we often look to film as an escape from our problems. This is the reason why we love film and this film is a great representation of that.

If any of this may sound appealing then Playdurizm may very well be worth the watch.

still courtesy of Artsploitation Films

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Frederick Nuti