Idiotka

Description

Nastasya Popov’s delightful debut is a playful sendup of reality fashion shows and a heartwarming portrait of a designer who definitely (and defiantly) thinks outside the box. Margarita (Anna Baryshnikov, Love Lies Bleeding) lives with her extended family of Russian Jewish émigrés in West Hollywood—ne’er-do-well brother, ex-con father, and hilariously kvetching grandmother. Behind on rent, she survives by selling fashion knockoffs with designer labels sewn in until she gets busted. In a “Hail Mary” moment, she auditions for a brand-new reality show and makes the cut! Guided by a producer, played with irrepressible glee by Camila Mendes (Riverdale), to accentuate her quirky charm, Margarita gives her all to “Slay. Serve. Survive.” as the show’s tagline has it. With sharply delineated characters paying humorous tribute to Popov’s own background, Idiotka never misses the chance to both satirize and pay homage to the types of shows where stylish dreamers hope to stake a future in fashion. —Rod Armstrong

Film Details