Tony Odyssey (2025)

-Written by Dante Natale. 

Tony Odyssey follows a man (Kelson Succi) trapped in the repetition of everyday life, unsure of why he was put here in the first place. He spends his days doing hard labor for the owner of a roadside bar and feels as though he has nothing going for him. Everything changes when his friend Ivy (Iraci Estrela) convinces him to rob his boss and steal a street drug known as “Paste,” a powerful hallucinogen that transports users into a fabricated world of their own creation. What begins as a thrilling escape soon evolves into a search for meaning, purpose, and an understanding of God’s plan.

At its core, Tony Odyssey appears to be about a man searching for meaning and purpose in a world that feels increasingly artificial and disconnected. That's an idea with plenty of potential, but the film buries it beneath a mountain of odd detours, heavy-handed symbolism, and self-important storytelling. There are pieces of an interesting movie scattered throughout, yet they never come together in a satisfying way. Instead of exploring its themes with clarity, the film often feels content to simply gesture toward big ideas without fully developing them.

I can usually find something to appreciate in even the most flawed films, but Tony Odyssey tested my patience from beginning to end. Despite its obvious ambition, almost nothing worked for me. The story feels unfocused, the characters are difficult to connect with, and the film constantly mistakes excess for depth. Every scene seems determined to prove how clever and artistic it is, yet very little of it feels earned. By the time the credits rolled, I was left more exhausted than engaged. It's rare that a film misses the mark completely, but Tony Odyssey came remarkably close.

The film is shot in black and white, though it is unclear whether this is a stylistic choice or a budgetary constraint. The effect does work, particularly when the characters first enter the hallucinogenic sequences and bursts of psychedelic color suddenly flood the screen. In that moment, there is a brief sense that the film might actually deliver on its ambition.

There are glimpses of potential throughout, but it quickly begins to undermine itself once the story fully gets going. One standout scene involves a cab driver who realizes he is simply a character created within someone else’s imagined world. For a brief moment, the film achieves a sense of existential horror that actually lands emotionally. Unfortunately, this is one of the only times it fully connects with its central theme.

Overall, the performances in Tony Odyssey weren’t strong enough for me to become emotionally invested. Plenty of films have explored existential dread on screen, but this one ultimately falls short of making it resonate. I can respect the ambition and the experimental approach, but it never fully comes together in a meaningful way. Instead, it ends up feeling like a case of style over substance, with its ideas buried beneath its own overly elaborate execution.

Unfortunately, I cannot in good conscience recommend this film. That said, Director Thales Banzai shows enough ambition here that he could potentially deliver more compelling work in the future.

Directed by Thales Banzai.

Written by Thales Banzai & Kelson Succi.

Starring Kelson Succi, Iraci Estrela, Sandra Guerra, etc.

2.5/10 = AVOID AT ALL COSTS