Technically, PVT Chat isn’t rated. But what I can tell you after watching this sexually-charged dark drama is that it should be rated “B,” for “Bold,” “Brash,” and–let’s be honest here–”Boobs.” Directed by Ben Hozie, PVT Chat is a low-budget, hyper-realistic look at a dark corner of the online sex industry that unabashedly brings the snuff film into the 21st century. Gaspar Noé, meet your successor.
Peter Vack stars (and bares all) as Jack, a single, NYC-dwelling millennial who passes his days playing online blackjack and chatting with cam girls from his janky apartment. He’s a good-looking guy, someone who we wouldn’t expect turns to sex workers and erotic masseuses to fulfill his kinks. Then again, this just proves that everyone carries secrets, especially the people we may not expect.
Jack carries out his relationships in both a transactional and superficial manner, but even though his life is lived mostly online, Jack soon finds out that his actions have consequences that extend beyond the computer screen. Reality hits when his daily chats with San Francisco-based dominatrix Scarlet (Julia Fox, Uncut Gems) turn from standard dirty talk to more personal confessions. One night, convinced he’s spotted her on the streets of Chinatown, Jack is determined to turn his online fantasy into a real-life relationship.
At its core, PVT Chat is a romantic film about hedonistic freedom and fantasy, littered with vices and eroticism. Shot in a shaky manner reminiscent of the Safdie brothers, the cinematography feels as unstable as its protagonist. That is the point, though, as filmmaker/provocateur Ben Hozie wrote, directed, shot, and edited PVT Chat as a response to society’s rigid view of sexual exploration and imagination. Peter Vack carries the film with total vulnerability (and full frontal nudity, including a self-pleasure sequence), and Julia Fox’s tenderness and strength play perfectly into Vack’s desperate need for human connection.
You’ve probably gathered by now that PVT Chat won’t be for everyone. However, if you’re curious to see out a film that will push you to the threshold of your comfort level–and beyond–PVT Chat aims to satisfy.
Distributed by Darkstar Pictures, PVT Chat is now available on-demand.
