In Stephen Sanow's comedic hybrid narrative-documentary Stripper Boyz, two friends (Sanow alongside Jozef Fahey) two friends hope to regain their lost mojo and reignite their stagnant friendship by heading to Las Vegas on a bizarre bachelor party mission to see if they can make it as male strippers. 

Sound weird? 

It is. 

It's also quite funny and, perhaps a little surprisingly, filled with an abundance of heart. Stripper Boyz is set for its world premiere at this week's Heartland International Film Festival in Indianapolis where the 76-minute film will get the royal treatment inside the Bottleworks District's Living Room Theaters on October 13th at 5:30pm and the Landmark Glendale on October 16th at 5:15pm. Stripper Boyz will also be available as one of the festival's streaming options. 

Stripper Boyz is a low-key, low-budget indie that is engaging precisely because you can't help but like both Sanow and Fahey. As we're introduced to both of them, it's apparent that both are at different stages of life - Fahey is on the verge of marriage and leaning into responsibility. Sanow is, well, not. Yet, the two have that certain chemistry that makes you believe them as friends and makes you root for them along the way. There's never any doubt that both are going to learn some life lessons along their journey, a journey feels more realistic because Stripper Boyz avoids the glamour of its Vegas setting in favor of a slightly grittier, more lived in look that feels spot-on with these two guys trying to learn how to be comfortable in their own skin. 

Stripper Boyz is one of those films that feels like a gimmick as it gets rolling and yet grows on you the longer it plays. Quirky but not too quirky and a little outlandish yet also quite believable, Stripper Boyz wins you over thanks to its winning co-leads and universal themes with which we can all identify. 

Get your tickets to Indy's Heartland International Film Festival here! 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic