Julio Torres is having a moment and we’re here for it

646

If you’ve ever dreamed in glitter, worried about fonts, or imagined horror as a business model, chances are you’ve been inside the wonderfully weird world of Julio Torres.

A one-of-a-kind storyteller with a penchant for the surreal, the silly, and the deeply sincere, Julio is a Salvadoran-born writer, director, comedian and actor. He’s racked up five Emmy nominations for his work on Saturday Night Live, won two prestigious Peabody Awards, and is now the mind behind some of the most original shows and films out there.

The Papyrus sketch that broke the internet
Julio first made his mark writing for Saturday Night Live, delivering offbeat gems like “Papyrus”, in which Ryan Gosling plays a man tormented by the font used in Avatar (over 24 million views!), and “The Actress”, starring Emma Stone as a deeply committed actress with a one-liner in a gay porno (13 million+ views).

Los Espookys: horror meets hilarity

Then came Los Espookys, co-created with Fred Armisen and Ana Fabrega, where Julio plays Andrés, a brooding heir with a mysterious past. The series follows a group of friends turning their love of horror into an unusual business in a dreamy Latin American country.

Now streaming on Showmax (S1–2)

Surreal, queer, brilliant
In Fantasmas, Julio plays a version of himself navigating a magical, alternate NYC in search of a lost gold oyster earring. Along the way, he meets a kaleidoscope of characters, played by the likes of Tilda Swinton, Emma Stone, Steve Buscemi, Natasha Lyonne and Bowen Yang. It just won a Peabody Award and was nominated at the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards and GLAAD Media Awards.

Now streaming on Showmax (S1)

His feature film debut

And now, his feature film debut, Problemista, is finally here and it’s glorious. Hailed as Rotten Tomatoes’ #2 best-reviewed fantasy movie of 2024, it stars Julio as Alejandro, an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador trying to make it in NYC before his visa expires. Cue a wildly creative journey involving art-world chaos, immigration anxiety, and dreams that refuse to die.
Starring Oscar-winner Tilda Swinton, Emmy nominee RZA and narrated by the iconic Isabella Rossellini, it’s heartfelt, hilarious, and totally Julio.

Now streaming on Showmax

As Julio puts it, “All these problems weren’t obstacles; they were the thing. They weren’t a wall on my way to life – they were life.”

From Salvadoran childhoods full of imagination to stories that blur fantasy with reality, Julio creates worlds where queerness, creativity and identity aren’t confined – they’re celebrated.

And there’s no better time to dive in. While South Africa celebrates Pride Month in October, get an early start and join in with the US this June by bingeing all things Julio: Problemista, Fantasmas (S1) and Los Espookys (S1–2) are now streaming on Showmax.