Charlie LaRose

At a small New York theatre, an ageing magician comes up with a devilish plan to save his piece of old New York by invoking some real black magic. Harsh realities and fantastic illusions come together in BLACK MAGIC FOR WHITE BOYS, Onur Tukel’s latest film, a bizarre comic adventure about gentrification, race and bodily autonomy in New York City. With over 50 minutes of new footage, Tukel has completely reworked a project initially presented in 2017 as a four-episode series at Tribeca into a gnarly and charmingly weird dark comedy. Balancing edgy misanthropy with a strain of silly sweetness, this is an intimate low-budget parable about the changing face of New York City.

Larry is an unqualified, unemployable, inebriated prankster who rides a tide of booze onto the glorious shores of an undiscriminating Quick-Lube. Taking a part-time job vacuuming and washing windshields, Larry finds himself mixed up with hostile co-workers and unsatisfied customers, while also finding himself smitten with his lovely boss, Lupe Torrez. Will Larry keep it together long enough to win the girl, provide for man's best friend (his dog Arrow), and do his grandmother proud?