FANTASMAS -- Julio Torres's Imaginative Return to Sketch Comedy

Review by Sean Boelman

Photograph by Monica Lek/HBO.

Julio Torres quietly made a name for himself as a writer on Saturday Night Live and as the creator of the cult favorite Los Espookys on HBO, but he burst onto the scene with his astounding directorial debut Problemista. His latest project, Fantasmas, is arguably his most ambitious yet. It returns him to his sketch comedy roots while allowing his voice, which he has formed over the years, to flourish. The result is an idiosyncratic, distinctive, and often hilarious comedy show filled to the brim with escapism.

The series is built around the narrative thread of Julio Torres (playing himself) losing his prized golden oyster earring, with his imaginative thoughts and whimsical interactions becoming a series of fantasies. Structurally, it very much feels similar to Problemista, although the sketch comedy sequences are much longer here.

The other difference with Fantasmas is that the narrative through-line feels much less compelling. The show's success is much less about getting invested in Torres’s story and more about getting immersed in the world he builds. It’s a world that you will feel like you could spend hours upon hours in—although we sadly only get three hours in it.

Visually, Torres’s style is wonderfully whimsical and playful. It’s full of ingenuity and visual symbolism, bridging the gap between reality and fantasy. It feels like we are seeing the world through Torres’s eyes, with the cinematography, production design, and cinematography all bringing an imaginative quality to the show.

Photograph by Monica Lek/HBO.

Yet, despite the narrative through-line here being somewhat weak, the series still feels cohesive under its themes. Torres explores many of the same ideas he explored in Probelmista, like the absurdity of capitalist society, but getting six episodes allows him to explore these themes with more depth than he did in a feature film.

As is the case with any sketch comedy-based show, the sketches here can be a bit hit or miss, but Torres definitely has more successful ideas than unsuccessful ones. Many of the gags are centered around a single joke, but Torres and the cast remain so committed to the bit that they work nevertheless. Others have layers upon layers to unravel and much more subtle humor. 

Fantasmas also shows the incredible budget and freedom that HBO gave to Torres through its cast. The sketches feature some incredible big-name actors, including Emma Stone, Steve Buscemi, Julia Fox, Alexa Demie, Bowen Yang, Aidy Bryant, Kim Petras, and more. This is where Torres’s background writing on SNL clearly came in handy because each sketch feels written to each actor’s talents.

Fantasmas may not have the roundedness of Problemista, but it has the humor and imagination that made Julio Torres’s directorial debut so special. Although one’s enjoyment of this show depends pretty firmly on whether or not audiences vibe with Torres’s comedic and visual stylings, everyone should be able to appreciate the level of ambition and passion that went into every piece. And I, for one, am incredibly glad that HBO is willing to back voices as unique as Torres. 

Fantasmas airs on HBO and streams on Max on June 7 at 11pm ET/PT, with new episodes dropping subsequent Fridays. All six episodes reviewed.

Rating: 4/5