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In ‘Magic Farm,’ viral video makers go off the grid but can’t escape the algorithm

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In a playful and satirical manner, “Magic Farm” offers a journey to rural Argentina that resembles swiftly glancing at a series of witty trinket postcards. This recent work by director Amalia Ulman (“El Planeta”) humorously explores how reducing the world’s size hasn’t necessarily expanded our curiosity but instead condensed it into cynical, bite-sized pieces – in essence, traveling far yet observing little.

Chloë Sevigny takes on the role of Edna, a web series host who travels the world to uncover human-interest tales. From Bolivian teenage exorcists to Mexican fashion enthusiasts in crescent-shaped boots and now Super Carlitos, a singer known for his bunny-like attire in San Cristobal, these stories are presented. However, it becomes apparent that Edna and her team, including Elena (Ulman), Jeff (Alex Wolff), Justin (Joe Apollonio) and Dave (Simon Rex), while professing to create documentaries, are actually more interested in sensational headlines and high web traffic. This setup may bring to mind Vice Magazine, which covered the same Mexican footwear trend in a 2011 article entitled “Look at These Boots!

The director of the movie is a shrewd and witty social commentator who delves into insincerity. Ulman can be seen as both an online anthropologist and modern artist. Her 2014 breakthrough was on Instagram, where she posed as an aspiring L.A. “It” girl – even going so far as to fake a breast augmentation – for a three-act tragedy she later named “Excellences & Perfections.” Her works have three layers: the surface, the sarcastic, and deep below those, a burning anger that she keeps hidden within her. Proficient in posturing and hypocrisy, Ulman appears as an influencer but thinks like Luis Buñuel, constantly seeking out deception. She’s always on the lookout for fraudulent schemes.

Additionally, in “Magic Farm,” Ulman plays the role of Elena’s producer, Edna. Similar to Elena, she is Argentinian-born and Spanish-raised, giving off an air of calmness yet hiding contempt. Despite appearing composed, this composure is actually disguising her disdain. Being the only team member who speaks Spanish fluently, Elena feels it’s her responsibility to prevent the others from appearing foolish. However, she often finds their antics too bothersome to address. In her absence, Dave from Rex’s team can be found asking a desk clerk for a vape charger “for here.

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The Super Carlito expedition seems destined for disaster, as not only are they in the wrong town but also the wrong nation. In typical fashion, Jeff shifts responsibility onto an unnamed intern he’s romantically involved with. Making matters more complicated, their local contact Marita (Grandmother Marita) has vanished, potentially linked to her end-of-the-world apocalyptic church. Remarkably, no one seems curious enough to ask, “Is she predicting the end of the world? When?

In my humble opinion, instead of focusing on the bigger picture, these American characters, often referred to as Yankees, are preoccupied with their personal turmoils that unfold amidst this rural backdrop. Justin, reminiscent of Dirk Diggler in his charisma, grapples with complex daddy issues that unexpectedly bloom into a romantic entanglement with Guillermo Jacubowicz’s unnamed hotel receptionist, a hardworking single father. On the other hand, Jeff, a self-absorbed charm, finds himself caught up in the allure of San Cristobal’s local glamour queen, Manchi (Camila del Campo). When she isn’t clicking selfies for her OnlyFans followers, Manchi can be found climbing trees to boost her cell service and disseminate these images to her subscribers during the day.

It’s important not to jump to conclusions that the locals are mere victims; their polite English may give the impression of being accommodating, but they each harbor their own mysteries and ambitions. Moreover, the language barrier seems to play to Jeff’s advantage, as Manchi appears smitten with him during intimate moments while she listens to his podcast unaware of his criticisms about a poor sushi meal.

Jacubowicz and Del Campo are fascinating finds in this film. Jacubowicz’s eyes sparkle innocently, reminiscent of a newcomer, while Del Campo, marked with an intriguing birthmark on her cheek, embodies a captivating femme fatale, holding her ground against Wolff’s self-absorbed, unproductive playboy character. The performance of Wolff, who seems out of place in the movie, is so overpowering that it dwarfs everything else by a significant margin. (When Edna accuses Jeff of taking too much of the horse tranquilizer ketamine, he whimpers, “Perhaps I am a pony!”) However, the chemistry between Wolff and Ulman in their playful mockery of Jeff and his shallow, self-righteous peers is so engaging that Wolff’s cacophonous antics synchronize with Burke Battelle’s score – a lively mix of synthesizers that resembles someone bouncing on a rubber duck.

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looks, jabs, incorrect assumptions, and deceitful lies. Most of her characters – even the locals – seem to be expending excessive effort on creating material for online consumption. They’re all ensnared in a global network.

Each scene offers its unique charm: Manipulating balloons with a knife brings joy, Edna’s unexpected cloven-toed high heels add quirkiness, Justin’s voice lightens up when he speaks kindly to a street dog with “What’s up, buddy?”, and the cinematographer Carlos Rigo and editor Arturo Sosa sync their work with vibrant colors and fast-paced visuals, employing skateboard video techniques, capturing footage from a camera mounted on a horse’s head, and using a dramatic close-up on a sheep.

Could it strike you as peculiar how vibrant the acid-neon grass appears? Such an observation might go unnoticed by these seemingly carefree observers. However, if you pay attention to what they’re overlooking – like the unseen aircraft overhead, the choice of bottled soda over water, and the offhand chats about health issues such as cancer and mortality – you’ll discern that Ulman has subtly woven another narrative beneath her humorous veneer. This tale suggests that the townsfolk are being suffocated by corporate greed and corrupt administration.

It seems San Cristobal has a lot to discuss, but Ulman is too doubtful to propose that these individuals could rectify the issues in their homeland. She holds little belief in their pursuit of authentic news and barely more in our own. Why bother telling the truth if no one will read it? And how cleverly she conceals her genuine feelings beneath this entertaining adventure.

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2025-05-08 13:33

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