Magic Farm

Awarding this thing 10 stars is only possible if you've never seen a film before, so please take those reviews with a metric ton of salt.

Let's be clear: what you're watching isn't a movie so much as a term-paper video project accidentally upgraded to feature length because a couple of C-list celebrities wandered onto the set. Simon Rex-evidently advertised a lot in the promotional material-takes one look at the script, clocks roughly six minutes on screen, and bolts faster than you can say "day-rate."

Plot? Stakes? Try again. A ragtag videography crew descends on a "poorish" Argentine town in search of a "viral" town celebrity, discovers they've got the wrong hamlet, then decides to manufacture their own meme instead. Surely their grand stunt will be deliriously unhinged, humorously culturally tone-deaf, or at least mildly amusing, right?

Wrong. Their big idea is... people dancing with gift bows on their heads. Ha. So zany!

The writing oozes the worst kind of coastal-hipster smugness: when a childish routine doesn't quite land you can also close it out with a joke about ketamine. Characters arrive pre-flattened: the serial philanderer, the mildly gay guy with hair that looks like a wig (apparently being "kinda gay" with the town's "family motel" owner is his whole personality and character arc), the perpetually seething woman (Sevigny does nothing in this film but get blasé).

What about the locals? Certainly they're colorful in some way. Nope. Mostly reduced to "look, deformities!" punchlines-because nothing says comedy like gawking at disabilities and then gasping, "He has a girlfriend? Hilarious!"

The film's approach to filming some of the other locals is equally disgusting. It really just amounts to: "can you believe these talentless hicks are actually auditioning for our talent show? How silly of them." The irony is the filmmaker casts herself as one of the members of the videography team and can't seem to get a single line out without it sounding like it's read off a blurry teleprompter. So pot meet kettle.

Visually, it's GoPro roulette: cameras duct-taped to dogs, refrigerators, the back of a motorbike-anything to scream "quirky" while contributing zip to theme or story. It's filmmaking by Pinterest board: random kooky angles in lieu of ideas.

In short, the film is equal-opportunity offensive-puerile to its core and yet somehow blissfully too lazy to do any serious lampooning. If you manage to finish the runtime (despite being short, the scenes drag out absurdly long with no punchline), award yourself ten stars; you've demonstrated more endurance than the filmmakers ever did creativity.

What on earth makes this recorded mumblings a film? I have been watching this for an hour now and I still don't know why I'm watching it. Where is the motivation, drive, dramatic arc or anything that makes a film a film? Weird is the last resort for the contemporary wannabe and it still does not suffice. High saturation doesn't make things interesting, nor the actors with physical disadvantage. This is not even weird or unconventional actually. It's just nothing and waste of time.

The director is lucky to have dragged Sevigny into the project who is growing irrelevant by the minute and wants to decorate herself with something "arty". The rest of the cast is just happy to be in ANY film, as it seems and they are having this excursion and doing nothing at all - not even that, actually.

5.8 rating is incredibly overrated.

First of all, let's talk about the camerawork. Innovative isn't quite enough. This might be revolutionary. A lot of the camera placement has been completely unused in a feature film to my knowledge. The start of a new age. This is like Godard level when it come to evolution of filmmaking. That 360 cam used at the beginning is just the start. The chosen lenses were so intentional. They also put cameras on dogs. There are other films that feature filming via drones, smart phones, Go-Pros, what have you. This film utilizes some of these new methods but lacks all corniness. It's just done perfectly.

That's not even to mention the editing/transitions, which fall under the same descriptors. Also, the color palette shown in every shot is just gorgeous. I'm not deaf but deaf people might could fully understand the plot based off the visuals with no subs, that's just how well this is done. Check me if I'm out of pocket.

Then we get to the substance of the film. The idea of white liberals going to another country to find something "interesting" to document for the entertainment of other white people. They meet a number of vastly interesting people, and decide that none of them are quite good (American popular internet culture) enough. A constant displeasure of a perceived lesser culture. Wonderfully displayed. So much more to say about what happens in this film, but a lot of it just comes off as a great story.

Funny line: "Why do you speak English so well?" "Why do you speak Spanish so bad?"

Very cool to see Chloë Sevigny, Alex Wolff, and Simon Rex all utilized in the same film. I believe they are underrated. I hope that Guillermo Jacubowicz gets parts in 100 films from this, he is fantastic in his role.

This is like God's-eye-view filmmaking.

They gotta give Amalia Ulman a dillion dollars to make whatever other films she has ideas about. I'm completely sold. I'm watching El Planeta tomorrow. Thank you for making me so excited about the future of film.

As of 7th June 2025, this film has a 5.8 score, from 242 ratings. What this tells you is, firstly: not enough people seem to have seen this film, and secondly: most of the ones that have wouldn't recognise a great movie if it slapped them in the face!

Evaluation of art, philosophy of aesthetics and all that - I'm not going down that road, but I gave Magic Farm a 10*; because I enjoyed it so much, and because it blatantly deserves a much higher rating than it currently has.

Great visuals, grading, tastefully experimental cinematography, opening credits, props, wardrobe, location, sets etc.

Tastefully experimental and appropriate soundtrack.

Interesting and loveable characters, portrayed with some perfect acting performances.

Easy going, lovely poised plot; leaving room to ponder between the lines.

I watch a lot of movies, and have done over several decades. I rarely rate or review. I've taken a little time here because Amalia and the rest of the crew deserve much more credit for this triumphant piece. Well done, and thank you! 🙌

This film really hits a vibe I haven't seen or felt in a long time. It captures the Argentina heart and adventure very well. For me it feels like the exact few trips I went on there myself. Beautiful people and a beautiful story- a movie I can actually sit through in one viewing. Most movies of this caliber these days I can't watch through in one viewing. Especially ones that are "mainstream". This one I can. This one is special in all the right ways to the right kind of people. I think everyone can relate to that in some way. It's truly a diamond in the rough.

Acting 10/10 Original Screenplay 10/10 Cinematography 10/10.