“Stripper Boyz” Will Pelvic Thrust its Way to Your Heart
We can talk all we want about the male loneliness epidemic and the crisis of confidence that leads men to feel lonely, but none of those words matter unless you’re also willing to take action. And by action, I do mean throwing caution and self-doubt to the wind and encouraging your best friend to audition to be a stripper in Las Vegas. Stephen Sanow’s Stripper Boyz is a balm for the insecure guys out there. A bizarre love letter to friendship punctuated with more than its fair share of pelvic thrusts, Stripper Boyz is a charmingly awkward mockumentary sure to steal your heart.
Stephen (Sanow) and Joe (Jozef Fahey) are best friends, but have reached a point in their lives where their daily routines look very different. Stephen is stuck in an endless loop of acting auditions, struggling to find that breakthrough role. Joe is also an actor, but his priorities have shifted. He’s engaged and looking forward to married life, but is struggling with his confidence and self-image. As best friend and best man, Stephen takes it upon himself to help Joe by planning a stripper-centric Las Vegas trip. This isn’t your usual bachelor party, though, because Joe and Stephen will be the strippers.
courtesy of Buffalo 8
Stripper Boyz feels like a spiritual brother to the sort of thing Nathan Fielder has been doing for a few years now. The Plan? To build self-confidence by becoming strippers with little to no training or experience. It’s the sort of harebrained conceit that only a best friend could suggestf to help someone they love feel better about themselves. Everything about Stripper Boyz is a recipe for disaster and comedy. From the set-up to the oddball Vegas characters they meet along the way to their dedication to see this plan through, it’s the perfect use of docu/mockumentary style. Sanow and Fahey are so comfortable playing off one another that it’s not clear if this is wholly scripted or reliant on improvisation. Either way, they’re naturals in this world of awkward, dry comedy that Stripper Boyz deploys expertly.
courtesy of Buffalo 8
There’s also a surprising amount of heart at play here. As zany and ridiculous as the circumstances are, the feelings behind their decision and desire to be strippers comes across as honest. Most people struggle with self-doubt and finding confidence in their bodies, and Stripper Boyz is about how friends can help one another do that. Yes, feeling comfortable in one’s own skin is an internal battle, but the support of loved ones is also a key part of this journey. Joe has Stephen, and together they can do anything. Even when they hit a rough patch or two, whether interpersonally or in discovering how hard it is to be a stripper in a male revue, they have each other.
In the case of Stephen and Joe, what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas. They take home the experience of being on stage, taking off their clothes, and dancing without a care in the world. The sequence of the friends taking the stage is intercut with other equally historic moments, and there’s an air of triumph that cannot be ignored. To be happy in your own skin is no small feat, and even if this film is scripted, the emotional arc of Joe and Stephen is sincere. Friendship is a deeply powerful connection that’s often overlooked in favor of romantic relationships, but something about two bros sitting on a bench in ass-less jock straps does more to warm the viewer’s heart than any romantic montage. Stripper Boyz is an incredibly entertaining blend of dry, mumblecore-esque comedy and a surprising amount of heart. Who knew the answer to insecurity was ripping your clothes off on a stage in Las Vegas?
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