WATCH: A group of Cuban punks take desperate measures in this daring AIDS drama set in the ’90s
Los Frikis that aims to tell a timely story of community, resilience, love, and loss.From directing duo Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz (and produced by the Lego Movie and Spider-Verse team oh Phil Lord & Christopher Miller), the film follows a young Gustavo (Eros de la Puente) who has always idolized his older brother Paco (Héctor Medina) and his fellow bandmates, self-identified Frikis.In a time of great oppression, the Frikis see their desperate plan to inject themselves with HIV and gain entry to these isolated sanatoriums as the most punk thing they could do.
Over time, they’re able to build these places into their own little anarchic utopias, where they’re free to be themselves. But, of course, at great cost.Struggling on the outside without his older brother to fight for him, Gustavo decides to risk everything, following along with the Frikis plan so that the siblings can be reunited.Updated: December 1 is Worlds AIDS Day, an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV/AIDS, show their support for people living with the disease and to commemorate people those we have lost.
Each World’s AIDS Day we update the Queerty list of the best in HIV/AIDS films. This year’s entry is […]Again, there is a deeply sad undercurrent here, though at least judging by the trailer, Los Frikis aims to tell a story that’s uplifting and empowering—effectively a coming-of-age tale for Gustavo, growing up in the most unusual of environments.It seems he might even find love in the form of Maria (Hit Man‘s breakout star Adria Arjona) who is living in the sanatorium as a caregiver and—we imagine—is based on the real-life Maria Gattorno, the activist who founded Rock Vs.
AIDS, a campaign to promote safe sex among the Frikis.And though there appears to be a straight love story at the heart of Los Frikis, its surrounded by a direct connection to the LGBTQ+ community, with a number of queer characters featured who are crucial to the narrative.
