The 1987 cult film Street Trash has a legion of diehard fans that relish its gross-out, body melt scenes, especially the iconic toilet sequence. A remake seemed like a fool's errand. That's why director Ryan Kruger, of Fried Barry fame, was wise not to remake the movie. Instead, his take is more of a sequel. Yes, Kruger's Street Trash is goopy, gory, and rife with crude humor, but it's also, surprisingly, a social commentary on class.
When I read that Kruger was tapped for this film, it didn't surprise me. Fried Barry is so delightfully strange and weird that the viewing experience feels like an acid trip. Immediately, Street Trash kicks into gruesome high gear. A new, synthesized version of the Tenafly Viper is tested out on a homeless person, melting them into a messy pile of goo. From there, Kruger establishes a world that's different than the New York setting of the original.
This version of Street Trash takes place in the not-too-distant future of Cape Town, South Africa. Essentially, three class divisions exist. These include the uber-wealthy, people who can afford basic amenities, and the unhoused. The fascistic Mayor Mostert (Warrick Grier) uses the Tenafly Viper to rid the city of the homeless population.
However, the dispossessed eventually settle their various conflicts to rise up and strike back against the mayor's plans. Nearly every major character in this film, most of whom play an unhoused person, are Fried Barry alumni. These characters include Ronald (Sean Cameron Michael), Alex (Donna Cormack-Thomson), Chef (Joe Vaz), Wors (Lloyd Martinez Newkirk), Pap (Shuraigh Meyer), and Fried Barry himself, Gary Green, who stars as 2-Bit. Of the motley bunch, Green stands out the most. Like his previous work, here, he has wild and vivid facial expressions that make for weirdly endearing visuals. He and Kruger need to keep teaming up.
None of the acting will win any awards, but in keeping with the spirit of director J. Michael Muro's original film, this is a schlocky carnival ride, filled with green slime and bodies that morph into icky puddles. None of the characters are particularly likable, either. Our core cast of characters runs various devious side hustles, including drug trafficking and other nefarious deeds. Still, you certainly want them to rise up and topple the diabolical mayor, who's really the film's worst character.
Whether Kruger intended to or not, this film feels incredibly timely. Is it really that difficult to fathom the uber-wealthy using drones and a liquid or toxin to kill off the impoverished? In that regard, what transpires in this movie, for as silly and yucky as it is, just feels darn good. Who wouldn't want to enact revenge against a mayor eager to use drones and the Tenafly Viper to eradicate people without remorse?
For fans of the original Street Trash, go into Kruger's film with an open mind. This isn't a remake. It's a sequel with some fresh ideas. Kruger's Street Trash isn't exactly high art, and it's not the best movie of the new year, but it's a sickening good time with thoughtful social commentary and lewd jokes galore.
Street Trash just released on Screambox in the U.S. and is also available on VOD. Additionally, it'll see a theatrical release in the UK on January 10.