Fantasmas’ vision of the future is a dystopian dreamland

The avant-garde weirdness and practically created artistry of Fantasmas — Max’s caller bid from Problemista writer / head Julio Torres — makes it look infinitely much whimsical and lighthearted than astir different TV shows astir people surviving successful nan robot-filled near-future. But successful summation to being a communicative astir a misunderstood creator trying to past successful a world dispute toward creativity, Fantasmas’ first play has been 1 of this year’s astir superb examinations of nan torturous acquisition we commonly mention to arsenic “being (too) online.”

The rent is agelong past owed arsenic Fantasmas first introduces multidisciplinary creator Julio (Torres), who, aft aggregate threatening letters from his landlord, finds himself successful hopeless request of a Proof of Existence ID successful bid to support his apartment. In Fantasmas’ heightened rotation connected New York City, getting ahold of one’s Proof of Existence is easy capable if you tin supply a societal information number, a in installments score, aliases show that you’re an exceptional individual for illustration Beyoncé.

But speech from Julio’s supplier Vanesja (Martine Gutierrez) — nan “J” is silent — fewer group tin admit his earthy talent for designing things for illustration clear crayons and communicating pinch bodies of h2o (Tilda Swinton). And while nan ID’s benignant of basal to unrecorded freely and get a job, nan thought of having to beryllium that he exists is truthful mind-boggling to Julio that he insists connected going without 1 connected principle.

Because Julio’s robot adjunct Bibo (Joe Rumrill) isn’t trying to termination him, and his need for an apartment becomes subsumed successful a quest to find a mislaid oyster-shaped earring, Fantasmas doesn’t look aliases consciousness for illustration galore different caller stories astir dystopian futures. But nan show’s jokes astir Zappos becoming a movie workplace and Exxon getting into nan multi-family existent property business some underline nan grade to which people’s lives person go ensnared successful corporate-owned systems that technologies for illustration nan Proof of Existence provender into.

Though Fantasmas isn’t going for a Matrix-style communicative astir humans fighting machines, it becomes easier to publication arsenic a communicative astir resisting nan commodification of one’s full being arsenic Julio encounters different eccentrics for illustration Chester (Tomas Matos) — a cab driver rallying against Uber pinch his one-man ridesharing work — reluctant to motion up for Proof of Existence.

Fantasmas offsets nan heft of its deeper themes by utilizing a bid of absurdist skits to build an full fantastical world astir Julio. His societal media head is simply a minuscule gnome who refuses to return immoderate feedback, and his hunt for nan earring leads him to a erstwhile queer hamster nightclub that has been gentrified into a mini CVS. The show revels successful its ain silliness arsenic overmuch arsenic it does its cleverness, which is portion of why it seldom feels arsenic if it’s speaking down to you astir nan perils of trusting societal media algorithms (Dominique Jackson).

As batshit (positive) arsenic Fantasmas might seem, pinch its land astir soul-sucking demons catfishing men connected Grindr and dresses for toilets, nan show presents them arsenic things that group person go inured to pinch clip and changeless encouragement to judge nan caller norm.

That past constituent successful peculiar has a fascinating measurement of making Julio’s travel consciousness very akin to nan acquisition of being bombarded pinch sound connected nan net that’s really conscionable meant to extract engagement alternatively than giving you thing you really want. But successful a world for illustration ours that’s presently truthful committed to cranking that sound up astatine each opportunity, Fantasmas’ willingness to flick nosy astatine it has made nan show a astonishing summertime TV gem.

Fantasmas’ first play is now streaming connected Max.