South by Southwest Film Festival 2025 – I can easily see a future where F*cktoys becomes a cult classic similar to Repo Man or Tank Girl. Its punk rock attitude, grainy aesthetic, and uncompromising subject matter will find an audience. Writer/director Annapurna Sriram’s film also normalizes kink, depicting it not as something scary, but rather desires that plenty of folks have. It’s part of everyday life in her sex worker film.

Not only did Sriram write, direct, and produce the film, but she also stars as AP, a sex worker who’s convinced she’s cursed because fortune tellers and quack psychics keep telling her so. Besides that, she loses teeth and has horrible visions. In the seedy underbelly of Trashtown, she embarks upon a zany journey to rid herself of the curse. This includes raising $1,000 and sacrificing a lamb, or perhaps a baby goat.

Sririam’s feature blends a heck of a lot of genres. It’s an oddball comedy. It’s sci-fi, and it contains a few horror elements. Oh, and as already stated, it contains lots of adult content. While Sean Baker’s Anora may have swept the Oscars, this film feels far bolder in its depiction of sex work. At times, the film goes to extremes in its depictions of various kinks, some quite heavier than others. Yet, none of the characters overreact to it. It’s simply part of life. No one is shamed, and Sririam deserves a heck of a lot of credit for how far she goes in normalizing kink. Though the adult content will definitely turn off a few viewers, Sririam’s uncompromising vision earns kudos from me.

Along her bizarro odyssey, AP encounters quite the cast of characters. This includes various sex work clients, but also other whacky fortune tellers. One of the other stars, Sadie Scott, as the gender-bending Danni, is another standout. Some of Danni’s sex work scenes are some of the funniest and most bizarre, but she’s also one of the most interesting characters, pushing boundaries and smashing any notions of the feminine. In fact, the first time we meet her, she engages in a fist fight with a woman, walking away bloody, but triumphant, against the backdrop of an awesome punk rock soundtrack. This is a good example of what this film is all about. It’s raw, at times funny, and gritty as heck. The fact it was shot on 16 mm adds to the grainy aesthetic.

The depiction of sex work here isn’t monolithic. This is true for both the sex workers and the clients. For instance, AP has one client who enjoys talking to her more than anything else and the feeling of simply having company. Another client recommended to her asks her how she’s doing but then mostly talks over her when she explains the curse. He’s more interested in the physical than anything else, as well as hard drugs, showcasing the danger. This erupts into a violent and logical conclusion. The portrayal of sex work is mature and never demeaning.

F*cktoys is undoubtedly one of the kinkiest movies of the year and unabashedly so. This film has punk rock heart and true potential to become a cult classic. The adult content isn’t for the prudes, and Sriram’s vision here remains unapologetic. I can’t wait to see what she does next.