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A definitive 5.1/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Torchy remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, you only need to watch Torchy if you have a weird itch for 1930s office politics or if you’re trying to complete a collection of forgotten, low-budget curiosities. If you’re looking for a smooth, well-oiled narrative, look elsewhere. You will likely hate this if you get annoyed by characters who won't stop talking or plots that feel like they were scribbled on a napkin during lunch.
The whole thing starts with our guy getting canned from his office job. It’s the kind of rapid-fire opening that doesn't care if you're keeping up. Suddenly, we're deep into a fake gold mine scam. It’s all very 1931.
It reminds me a little bit of the pacing in The Lunkhead, where things just happen because the script said they should. Nobody really pauses to let the stakes sink in. Maybe that’s for the best.
The movie doesn't really try to be anything other than a quick distraction. It’s not trying to win awards. It’s barely trying to make sense. I kind of respect that.
There's a moment where a character tries to act tough, but his hat is clearly two sizes too big. He spends half the scene trying to keep it from sliding over his eyes. It made me laugh more than the actual jokes. Cinema, baby.
It’s not as polished as Husbands and Wives—obviously—but it has this frantic, desperate energy that makes you wonder what the production set was like. Probably loud and hot.
I left the screen feeling like I’d just had a very long, very confusing conversation with a stranger at a bus stop. Not a waste of time, exactly, but definitely not a masterpiece. 🤷♂️