Street Trash Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Street Trash Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 10, 2025

1987’s “Street Trash” is a bizarre feature. It was part of the “body melt” filmmaking movement of the decade, as moviemakers hunted for new ways to deliver exceptional gore to a rabid audience. Director J. Michael Muro and screenwriter Roy Frumkes actually managed the impossible, putting thought and care into their low-budget gross-out, which had something to share about the cruel disposability of life while turning characters into multi-colored puddles of flesh and blood. Co-writer/director Ryan Kruger bravely tries to recapture the vibe of the original picture with a remake of “Street Trash” (billed as “A Ryan Kruger Thing”), taking the action to South Africa for a new round of disgusting events and miserable people. The update doesn’t match the ’87 endeavor, as Kruger struggles with uneven tone and weak humor throughout the offering, which only really comes alive when destroying bodies.

In Cape Town, life is hell. Mayor Mostert (Warrick Grier) is determined to give corporations full control of the city, which has eliminated jobs, creating overwhelming homelessness. Part of the unhoused population is Ronald (Sean Cameron Michael), who’s joined by friends Chef (Joe Vaz), Wors (Lloyd Martinez Newkirk), Pap (Shuraigh Meyer), 2-Bit (Gary Green), and Offley, and the men fight to survive with help from drugs and drink. They’re also tormented by police patrols, as Officer Maggot (Andrew Roux) seeks to put them all behind bars. Helping Alex (Donna Cormack- Thomson) out of a jam with a local gang loyal to the Rat King, Ronald welcomes the confused young woman into his world, offering her a small community to enjoy. However, danger is quickly increased during the launch of Mayor Mostert’s drone program, as the machines scan the city for the homeless, spraying them with a substance known as “Viper 283,” which disintegrates intended targets. Ronald and his friends try to grasp the threat coming for them, scrambling for safety as members of the community are subjected to a painful melting process.

Mayor Mostert is searching for a way to eliminate the homeless issues in Cape Town, turning to weird science to get the job done. Kruger doesn’t hide the Viper 283 experience, opening “Street Trash” with a demonstration of the serum, which destroys victims in full, reducing them to a bubbling glop of goo that favors shades of purple and blue. It’s a drastic population control option in the hellhole of Cape Town, depicted here as a city of companies eliminating employees, chasing profit while humanity struggles for food and shelter. The story is certainly within the realm of reality, but “Street Trash” offers a heightened look at the mess, exploring Ronald’s neighborhood, which is in complete disarray, allowing him to use the confusion to help hide from police view. And the cops certainly want him, depicted in an early chase sequence that has Officer Maggot somehow surviving a complete penile dismemberment while trying to catch Ronald. It’s one of the many mysteries in the feature.

Batteries are treated as currency in the world of “Street Trash,” which is an interesting idea that’s not handed much development in the script. Kruger is more focused on Ronald and his friends, spending time with the rattled, drug-addicted bunch, while 2-Bit is especially fried, joined by his imaginary, extremely profane pal Sockle (realized as a stiff puppet). Alex joins the gang, receiving a tutorial on the particulars of street life, also introduced to Ronald’s extreme ways, where he visits sex addiction groups to satisfy his lust and narcotics meetings to score drugs. Society (Jonathan Pienaar) is the local dealer, in possession of a glowing vial that’s meant to pay off in the final act, but never really does. Alex is offered pals after living a lonely life, and Kruger tries to treat her mental state with sincerity, which doesn’t land at all in a film offering gushing penis wounds, a sex-crazed puppet, and numerous displays of ruined flesh.

Street Trash Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image presentation for "Street Trash" obviously leads with color changes, which are a common sight during the viewing experience. On one side of the feature are natural hues dealing with locations, exploring a concrete jungle filled with trash. The melt elements of the story delivers stranger hues, with gooey purples, blues, and yellows splashing around. Lighting also grows intense in the final act, with big washes of reds and blues. Skin tones are natural. Detail is excellent, examining grimy skin particulars on the characters. Costuming is fibrous, and locations retain depth as the action heads around the city. Interiors do well with decorative additions. Gore is appropriately slimy and slippery. Delineation is satisfactory.

Street Trash Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix offers sharp dialogue exchanges, preserving strange performance choices. Subtitles are available as well, helping with the somewhat baffling slang in the picture. Scoring selections provide clear synth support and dramatic emphasis. Surrounds handle more circular musical moods at times, along with milder atmospherics. Sound effects are distinct, sharing the spurting wetness of the feature. Low-end carries some weight with urban activity and bass stings, and climatic events add power to explosions.

Street Trash Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Ryan Kruger, producer David Franciscus, and actors Sean Cameron Mitchell and Joe Vaz.

• "Trash Talk" (7:12, HD) is an interview with producer Roy Frumkes, who also created the 1987 "Street Trash," noting how its success changed his career. Efforts to revive the brand name started many years ago, finally landing on co-writer/director Ryan Kruger to guide the remake. Frumkes states his happiness with the feature, but remains baffled by many of its South African touches. The interviewee points out a few of the changes between the two films, and details his reaction to the very idea of telling the same story.

• "The New Trash" (11:54, HD) is an interview with production Justin Martell, who explores the genesis of the "Street Trash" remake, which, at one point, was meant to be a direct sequel to the 1987 film. Martell recounts his path to co-writer/director Ryan Kruger, appreciating the tone of his earlier picture, "Fried Barry." Production challenges are recalled, including a general reluctance from financiers to back the feature, and the South African shoot is briefly explored. The interviewees also highlights his heavy involvement in the endeavor.

• Behind-the-Scenes Featurette (9:15, HD) explores the South African shoot for "Street Trash," with cast and crew interviews pointing out creative achievements in the film.

• "Street Trash" (3:42, HD) is a music video for the band ten Athlone, directed by Joe Vaz.

• Deleted & Extended Scenes (19:41, HD) are offered.

• Image Gallery (2:38) collects film stills and BTS snaps.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:20, HD) is included.

Street Trash Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Street Trash" goes for craziness for most of the run time, becoming tiresome as Kruger invests in chaos, trying to live up to B-movie expectations without pushing for a stronger understanding of the central crisis. There's social commentary, but it's not too incisive, and performances are committed but often have nowhere to go, hitting the same beats of restlessness without much in the way of genuine humor. The original picture wasn't high art, but it was well-crafted, presenting memorable awfulness. The new "Street Trash" delivers plenty of bodily destruction to please horror hounds, but the overall offering is missing a sharper sense of viewer engagement, and the messiness of it all quickly becomes dull.