Ponyboi Review: intersexuality, identity and family in Esteban Arango's new movie

Presented at the 42nd Turin Film Festival as a film in competition, Ponyboi is the new feature film by Colombian director Esteban Arango, known for his innovative approach and social commitment, with a career spanning cinema and television. The film addresses socially important themes such as the search for gender identity, difficult family relationships, and the acceptance of intersex people, through the tumultuous and dramatic account of a particular day in the life of its protagonist, nicknamed Ponyboi, played by River Gallo. 

It's Valentine's Day, and Ponyboi, a young intersex sex worker who also works in a laundromat, faces another tough and squalid day filled with little consideration and occasional paid sexual encounters. Despite a meager existence with few prospects, Ponyboi is a sunny, romantic person, always in a good mood, even though Valentine's Day seems to sadden him greatly. The day is particularly negative as he receives news from his mother that his father, with whom he has cut ties for years, is seriously ill and about to die. The news forces him to confront his past and memories of a difficult childhood, spent as an intersex person in a traditional Salvadoran family. Difficulties intensify when a well-known mafia trafficker dies while having sex and consuming drugs with him, forcing Ponyboi to flee New Jersey to escape the vengeance of other members of the criminal clan. 

Beyond the rather banal crime plot, the film is very interesting for some powerful and particularly topical themes, such as the search for identity and social acceptance. The plot explores Ponyboi's perennial inner struggle between a difficult past and an uncertain present, lived in search of a defined identity and a stable romantic relationship. His life experiences as an intersex person are at the center of the narrative, adding an emotional and social dimension to the film thanks to the intense and powerful performance by River Gallo, who received the jury prize at the Turin Festival for best actor. 

River Gallo: Breakthrough Actor Thanks to His Social Commitment 

River Gallo, in addition to being an intersex actor and model, is also committed as an activist for intersex rights and co-founder of Gaptoof Entertainment, a production company that promotes films on inclusivity. Besides Ponyboi, for which he also wrote the screenplay, in the past he directed and starred in the 2023 documentary film Every Body, about the social and psychological consequences of non-consensual surgeries undergone by intersex people at a young age, and participated in the 2020 TV series Love, Victor, a series focused on the awareness of sexual orientation.

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