Private Project

FRIED BARRY - a Shudder Original

"Brilliance, imagination and a real sense of risk-taking" - EMPIRE

"Sharply comic, surprisingly touching and straight-up well-acted" - THE GUARDIAN

"If ever there was a cult-destined film you must see to believe, FRIED BARRY is unequivocally that film" - RUE MORGUE

FRIED BARRY is the South African cult smash hit that has enamored fans and critics alike. Winning 21 awards at festivals around the world - including 5 "Best Film" awards and 4 "Best Lead Actor" awards - FRIED BARRY is one of the most talked about genre movies of the year, having played at Fantasia, Sitges, Torino, Kyiv Molodist and many more.

Earning a Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and rated as one of the top horror films of the year by 7 leading genre film publications, FRIED BARRY has been a hit with critics and fans alike. The FRIED BARRY fanbase is nothing short of explosive, with hundreds of examples of fan art based on the compelling main character and several diehard fans even getting FRIED BARRY tattoos.

FRIED BARRY was featured on the cult hit TV series THE LAST DRIVE IN WITH JOE BOB BRIGGS and reached the #3 most trending topic on Twitter in the US upon release.

  • Ryan Kruger
    Director
    Warrior (2019), Broken Darkness, Doomsday
  • James C. Williamson
    Producer
    The Dark Tower, Resident Evil 6, Bloodshot
  • Ryan Kruger
    Producer
    Warrior (2019), Broken Darkness, Doomsday
  • Nicolai Fuglsig
    Producer
    12 Strong
  • Gary Green
    Key Cast
    "Barry"
  • Chanelle De Jager
    Key Cast
    "Suz"
    The Widow; Outlander
  • Bia Hartenstein
    Key Cast
    "Prostitute"
  • Sean Cameron Michael
    Key Cast
    "Ronald"
    Shooter, MacGyver (2018)
  • Johnny Pienaar
    Key Cast
    "Strange Man"
    Roots (2016), The Killing Floor
  • Ryan Kruger
    Writer
    Warrior (2019), Broken Darkness, Doomsday
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Horror, Comedy, Sci-Fi
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 38 minutes 47 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 12, 2020
  • Country of Origin:
    South Africa
  • Country of Filming:
    South Africa
  • Language:
    Afrikaans, English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Fantasia International Film Festival 2020
    Montreal
    Canada
    August 20, 2020
    Canadian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Sitges Film Festival
    Sitges
    Spain
    November 8, 2020
    Spanish Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Kyiv International Film Festival Molodist 2020
    Kiev
    Ukraine
    August 22, 2020
    European Premiere
    Midnight Specials
  • RapidLion 2020
    Johannesburg
    South Africa
    March 13, 2020
    South African Premiere
    Winner: Best South African Film, Best Cinematography, Best Editing; Nominated: Best Director, Best Lead Actor; Official Selection
  • Grimmfest 2020
    Manchester
    United Kingdom
    October 7, 2020
    UK Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Fantaspoa XVI
    Port Alegre
    Brazil
    July 24, 2020
    South American Premiere
    Winner: Best Lead Actor
  • /slash Filmfestival 2020
    Wien
    Austria
    September 17, 2020
    Austrian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival 2020
    San Jose, CA
    United States
    March 6, 2020
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
  • BUT Film Festival
    Rotterdam
    Netherlands
    September 2, 2020
    Netherlands Premiere
    Winner: Audience Award
  • Macabro 2020
    Mexico Cty
    Mexico
    August 19, 2020
    Mexican Pemiere
    Winner: Best International Feature
Distribution Information
  • Rock Salt Releasing
    Sales Agent
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Ryan Kruger

Ryan Kruger is a Cape Town-based actor/director who has been making movies since he was 14 years old.

As a winner of SAMA (South African Music Awards), MTV and GOEMA awards, Ryan is widely celebrated for his outstanding work as a music video director, having directed over 100 music videos.

As a director of dozens of internationally-acclaimed short films, Ryan is known for his distinct visual style and character-driven stories.

He has recently completed his first independent feature film, FRIED BARRY, which is slated for release in 2021.

For more info, visit www.ryankruger.tv

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

FRIED BARRY is a film completely out of the ordinary - a first in the history of South African cinema there has been no film to date close to this to come out the country. It's a truly underground, cult film that is set to make its mark on world cinema.

My series of experimental films that I've been shooting since 2017 gave me the space to really stretch my creative approach to filmmaking and with the release of the original FRIED BARRY short film, I knew I was onto something.

FRIED BARRY was written in 3 days as a scene breakdown, with most of the action and dialogue either improvised or workshopped on set. I only wrote 5 peaces of of dialogue for five actors. I built the whole film around our lead character as he isn't a trained actor to make the film work. These aspects informed a unique approach to creating the world of the film.

FRIED BARRY marks my feature-length directing debut. I've worked as a music video director in South Africa for many years but my only dream since I was a kid was to direct a feature film.