‘Fantasmas’ Review
Julio Torres in ‘Fantasmas,’ a unique and exceptionally masterful HBO comedy series.
Julio Torres’ ‘Fantasmas’ is peak creativity, and exactly what comedy needs right now
Coming off of the release of his A24 film, ‘Problemista,’ Julio Torres delivers another smash hit with his hilariously brilliant, cameo-filled, quirky comedy show, ‘Fantasmas.’
Julio Torres is a force to be reckoned with. His hilarious mind and creative ideas set him apart, and set his work apart from everything else on TV right now. In 2019, Writer-Comedian, Julio Torres worked in collaboration with HBO to put out his masterfully funny, ‘My Favorite Shapes’. The comedy special had Emma Stone playing the role of ‘Shoe,’ Ryan Gosling as ‘Blue Penguin,’ and Lin Manuel-Miranda as ‘Cactus.’ That same year, Torres’ ‘Los Espookys,’ a horror-comedy show, once again in collaboration with HBO, premiered on HBO Max (now Max).
This year, shortly after the theatrical run of ‘Problemista” in which Torres starred alongside the lovely Tilda Swinton, it was announced via Max that Julio’s new show, Fantasmas would be premiering on the service on June 7th, 2024, and Friday nights after that. The show includes cameos from Bowen Yang, Emma Stone, Alexa Demie, Julia Fox, Ziwe, Paul Dano, and more including stars of the aforementioned ‘Los Espookys,’ Ana Fabrega and Bernardo Velasco.
The show follows Torres, his assistant Vanesja (Martine Gutierrez), the J is silent, and a little blue robot, Bibo, Along with a slew of other characters we meet along the way. While the show grapples with what feels like a thousand plot lines, the gist of it is a story of everlasting searching and cluttered, conflicting thoughts, that come together with every North Pole trial and Housewives parody to become something truly marvelous.
Although Julio is known as the mastermind behind so many of your favorite SNL skits, I hope we get to see him receive so much more appreciation for his work here. It’s quirky, sweetly funny, and a journey that I never wanted to end. From Euphoria’s Alexa Demie as an obsessed insurance agent to the magic of a clear crayon, 2024’s '‘Fantasmas’ is HBO at it’s best. It doesn’t take itself at all seriously, yet somehow comes out on top.
★★★★
By Ryan Nicolas
