In a sentenceThe hamsters have nightclubs; the human being still has to prove he exists
Facing eviction, Julio Torres (Julio Torres) needs proof that he exists. That requirement turns the practical business of finding somewhere to live into a search through a semi-dystopian society, with futuristic oddities and encounters that keep taking him away from the task. Around him are Vanesja (Martine Gutierrez), Chester (Tomas Matos) and Bibo (voiced by Joe Rumrill). While he tries to secure a place for himself, other people’s lives interrupt his story, opening into separate sketches about work, art and the demands of making a living.
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Julio Torres turns housing anxiety and bureaucracy into funny, peculiar television. Fantasmas gives its sketches more freedom than they always deserve, but the detours are usually worth taking, and the anger beneath them is well placed.
Fantasmas is funny, restless television, and we recommend it with a caveat about sketches that linger after their jokes have finished. Julio Torres, its creator, writer, director and lead, gives his fictional namesake the prospect of eviction and a search for proof of existence. Being there apparently does not settle the matter. The premise lets him consider how people are expected to earn a living, find a home and make themselves acceptable to institutions that have little interest in them.
The housing problem supplies a reason to keep moving, but Julio Torres is at least as interested in the people and peculiarities encountered along the way. A diversion can become a miniature film, with enough time to develop beyond the gag that introduced it. We laughed at the hamster nightclubs. Giving hamsters a nightlife is an absurdly specific use of anyone’s imagination, and the series takes the idea seriously enough to let us enjoy it without explaining the joke.
Tommaso Ortino’s production design is essential here: the invented places have a theatricality that suits these self-contained stories. The hamster nightclubs are a good example of how readily the programme accommodates an idea that could have been tossed off in a line. Sam Levy’s cinematography holds the separate sketches together visually, and the care of the images persists even when the writing is less rewarding. There is enough to look at to make a missed joke less troublesome than it would be in a comedy depending entirely on dialogue.
Julio Torres is a useful centre because his performance does not strain to make the strangeness reassuring. Martine Gutierrez, as Vanesja, and Tomas Matos, as Chester, help keep the company distinctive without making every encounter feel like a contest for the strangest person on screen. The irritation behind the comedy is important. When the subject turns to art and the entertainment business, the series is sharp about the expectation that a person’s identity should arrive ready to be packaged and sold.
Some sketches simply go on too long, and the weaker ones become repetitive. Editors Nolan Jennings and Jacob Secher Schulsinger handle the shifts between the main story and its offshoots clearly, but clarity cannot make every offshoot equally funny. Lia Ouyang Rusli’s score supports the fanciful mood without labouring to announce every joke. We sometimes wanted the series to move on; once a sketch’s premise was clear, the extra variations could feel dutiful.
Against the usual expectations of a half-hour comedy, the six-episode series is pleasingly willing to spend time on things that do not advance the story. It still offers a story worth following, but the self-contained pieces are a large part of what we would return for. Some tolerance for whimsy is essential, and those who need every scene to earn its place in the plot will find plenty to argue with. Give it an episode with the phone put away.
The consensus on Fantasmas is strongly positive, with all seven reviews praising Julio Torres’ imaginative approach to television comedy. Praise centres on the sketch-like structure, theatrical world-building and digressive mini-films, which critics find inventive without losing sight of the pressures facing the characters. The reviews also value the sharpness beneath the whimsy: absurd situations carry pointed observations about capitalism, artistic work and the demand to turn identity into something that can be sold.
The differences are chiefly in enthusiasm rather than in any fundamental objection to the series. Variety admires the immigration themes and Hollywood satire but finds some repetition of Torres’ earlier work, while Paste notes that the jokes do not always land, even when the visual style holds its appeal. Across the reviews, the reservations remain limited: critics broadly agree that the peculiar humour and ambitious storytelling sustain the series, though some embrace its eccentricities more wholeheartedly than others.
The critic hails it as an absurdist triumph and powerful rebuke to mid TV, singling out the inventive long-form, sketch-like episodic structure and Torres' astute storytelling.
Read the full review →The critic calls the series a level of brilliance beyond the bizarre, praising its frothy farce and fierce satire that indicts late-stage capitalism through whimsical elements like hamster nightclubs.
Read the full review →The critic adored this wildly creative and theatrical series from Julio Torres, calling it a beacon of hope for non-generic TV. They singled out its inventive mini-films, whimsical world-building and sharp take on art, commodification and precarity.
Read the full review →Torres' new HBO series immerses viewers in his singular surreal vision through a loose narrative about eviction and a quest for proof of existence amid digressive vignettes with high-profile guests. The review highlights autobiographical immigration themes and a biting Hollywood critique of identity-driven stories, softened by the show's whimsical elements, while noting some repetition from prior work.
Read the full review →Julio Torres' six-episode HBO series mixes childlike whimsy, irritation and hope in a semi-dystopic quest for proof of existence, blending futuristic elements with outlandish sketches and guest stars. The review calls it a complete, satisfying story packed with ambitious ideas and hilarity, positioning it as one of the best of the year for fans of Torres' peculiar vibe.
Read the full review →Fantasmas is a quirky, imaginative sketch comedy show that went to art school, consistently cinematic even when jokes miss. Its strong style and vision provide high entertainment value, making it like nothing else on television.
Read the full review →
Los Espookys · not reviewed yetDeadpan company for anyone who prefers their absurdity treated as routine business.
BrazilFor the same anger at bureaucracy, with considerably less room to breathe.
The Science of Sleep · not reviewed yetHandmade fantasy, awkward company and dreams that make ordinary life harder.
Sorry to Bother YouWorkplace absurdity with sharper teeth and an equally healthy distrust of commerce.
The Taste of Tea · not reviewed yetA gentler rural detour, where strange visions belong beside everyday family irritations.
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