Ponyboi
2024 American drama film
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Ponyboi is a 2024 American thriller film directed by Esteban Arango, from a screenplay by River Gallo. It is based upon the 2019 short film of the same name by Gallo. It stars Gallo, Dylan O'Brien, Victoria Pedretti, Murray Bartlett, and Indya Moore.
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- Mark Ankner
- River Gallo
- Adel "Future" Nur
- Trevor Wall
- River Gallo
- Dylan O'Brien
- Victoria Pedretti
- Murray Bartlett
- Indya Moore
| Ponyboi | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Esteban Arango |
| Written by | River Gallo |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Ed Wu |
| Edited by | Hanna Park |
| Music by | Cristobal Tapia de Veer |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | |
Release dates |
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Running time | 103 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $29,694[3] |
It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2024, and was released through Fox Entertainment Studios and Gathr on June 27, 2025.[4]
Premise
On Valentine's Day, in New Jersey, a young intersex sex worker is working at a laundromat with their pregnant best friend, Angel. They spend their nights with Vinnie, their secret lover and pimp who is also the father of Angel's child. However, when a drug deal goes bad, they find themself on the run from the mob.[5][6]
Cast
- Dylan O'Brien as Vinnie
- Murray Bartlett as Bruce
- Victoria Pedretti as Angel
- River Gallo as Ponyboi
- Indya Moore as Charlie
- Denis Lambert
- Stephen Moscatello
- Aphrodite Armstrong
- Keith William Richards as Two-Tone
Production
In December 2022, it was announced River Gallo, Dylan O'Brien, Victoria Pedretti, and Indya Moore had joined the cast of the film, with Esteban Arango directing from a screenplay by Gallo.[7]
The film was shot at various locations in New Jersey.[8] Principal photography concluded by November 2022.[9]
Release
It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2024.[10]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 82% of 34 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10.[11] The film was positively reviewed in The Hollywood Reporter, which wrote that Gallo's screenplay "achieves something still rare in an industry unnecessarily confused about inclusion: Ponyboi seamlessly integrates its character’s challenges with identity into a propulsive story about a sex worker on the run."[12] Collider wrote that the film was "cinematic gold" that "would be nothing without River Gallo's performance".[13] Variety gave a more critical review, praising Gallo's acting but criticizing the writing as predictable and too reliant on clichés.[14]
