The Dress Up Gang's Surreal Comedy Meets Heat

At first glance, The Dress Up Gang’s latest project might sound like a surreal comedy built around a rogue plant vigilante, and it is. But beneath the absurd premise of Plantman & Blondie lies a more grounded story, centered around loneliness, second chances, and the strange ways people find connection when they least expect it.

The film follows Cory, a directionless thirty-something whose world is turned upside down after a chance encounter with Plantman, a self-appointed enforcer for neglected greenery. What unfolds is equal parts offbeat and unexpectedly heartfelt, blending deadpan humor with a surprisingly sincere look at friendship and purpose.

That tonal balance, however, didn’t always feel obvious on set. In fact, when ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan spoke with Kirk Fox, who plays the well-meaning but questionable ex-con, at SXSW in Austin, Texas, last week, he revealed that his approach to Plantman & Blondie was… a lot more intense than audiences might expect.

Kirk Fox: Every character I’ve ever played was a sex offender. So what’s good about this is I asked Cory, I’m like, “Is my character on his way to prison? Or on his way out.” And when he said he’s on his way out, I said, “I’ll do it.”
The backstory is, I was driving an Uber, and the guy I was driving robbed a bank, and I ended up in prison. I made it not as truthful as why I would be in prison. So I made it sweet. If it was for murder, I think my character would be different. So I just made it for a mistake. I play it pretty heavy. I thought this movie was Heat. I swear I didn’t know it was a comedy until yesterday when I watched it. And I told everyone we’re making Heat. This is a heist movie, and that plant is the most important thing in the world.

The Dress Up Gang Explain The Concept Behind Plantman & Blondie

SXSW

ScreenRant: I want someone to explain what the concept of the movie is.

Donny Divanian: I would say Cory and my character kind of form a reluctant partnership, and it just sets out on this week-long journey rescuing plants around LA, with some misadventures all along the way.
Cory Loykasek: I think that’s right, Donny. That’s fair. Something I would think I would say … Part of it started with all of us getting into plants at the same time, and microdosing mushrooms at the same time. And not knowing how to take care of our plants, we kept killing these plants, and feeling bad about it. Donny’s character is like an embodiment — he’s like a plant vigilante. He breaks into people’s houses and rescues their plants if they don’t take care of them.
Frankie Quiñones: He’ll break in to water ’em, and if they’re dying, he’ll straight up steal them. So he’s doing illegal stuff, but it’s for the sake of the plants.
Robb Boardman: Kirk plays Cory’s ex-convict buddy, who’s kind of pushing Cory into working with the Plantman, Donny’s character.
Kirk Fox: My job is to nudge Cory to the light. That’s my mission: to get him out of the house and get some water and sunlight. I give him kind words. And it’s a heist movie, is what this is.

ScreenRant: Tell me who you are, who your character is, and what the relationship is with these guys.

Brent Weinbach: My name is Brent, and I play this character named Brant.
Frankie Quiñones: Laser Brant.
Brent Weinbach: I guess he’s better known as Laser Brant in the movie. He’s a victim of the Plantman — and by victim, he got his plant stolen from him. And he kind of forms a group to try to get him. Expose him. And you know what? You can kind of get where he’s coming from, because even though this is a lighthearted comedy and everything, and what he is doing is kind of noble, imagine if someone was just breaking into your home and stealing your plant? That’s kind of disturbing, isn’t it? So, there’s something real behind it.
Kirk Fox: It’s hard to break into a house and not take watches and valuables, and just take a plant.
Frankie Quiñones: My name is Frankie in the movie. But I met these guys a long time ago in San Francisco, at an open mic. And then they were kind of doing their thing, and then they kind of brought me on board. We started making stuff, and then made a TV show in 2017, and then here we are, we’ve made a movie. But yeah, I played Frankie. My mom, dad, and I are running a struggling nursery, and we have a secret sanctuary in the back of the nursery where Plantman brings the plants that are dying, and we nurse them back to health to be re-homed. So it’s kind of like a little headquarters.
Cory Loykasek: And the nursery provides an emotional anchor in the movie.

Frankie Quiñones’ Parents Ended Up In The Film

Frankie Quiñones: My real mom and dad. It was so dope. I was telling Donny, a couple of people came up, especially this woman, and she was just like, “Who played your mom and dad?” I was like, “It’s my real mom.” And she was like, “Ahh!” And she just walked away, like she couldn’t handle it.
Cory Loykasek: There was a scene in the nursery where his mom had to — she gave me a little heart-to-heart, and on that day, man, she went to a place. She was so good, and so present, and just killed it. And afterward, I was like, “Mom is such a good actor,” and Frankie was like, “Cats don’t make dogs, homie.”
Frankie Quiñones: But now, my mom kind of has a big head about it. She’s like, “I’m a working actress now.”

ScreenRant: Was it like this on set the entire time?

DeMorge Brown: Yes.
Frankie Quiñones: Pretty much. We were either laughing, arguing, or at each other’s throats.

ScreenRant: What do you argue about? Plant care?

Frankie Quiñones: A lot of stuff. We’ve known each other a long time.

The Dress Up Gang Started In San Francisco in 2009

ScreenRant: What is the history of the Dress Up gang?

Frankie Quiñones: Robb and Cory went to high school together.
Donny Divanian: I met these guys doing stand-up in San Francisco in 2009, and then saw Frankie and Brent.
Cory Loykasek: I would say this is the most monogamous I’ve ever been in my life. Made one video with this guy, and we’re like, “Let’s just do that for the rest of our lives. That was fun.”
Donny Divanian: We just kept going.
Cory Loykasek: Did one video with Frankie. That was great. Let’s just keep doing that. Then, one by one, we just kept —
Donny Divanian: Adding everybody.
Frankie Quiñones: Yeah, it just kind of happened organically. I had already moved up to San Francisco, and then maybe like a year or two later, I started doing stand-up. Donny would wear headbands and tennis gear on stage. I was like, “Who is this dude?” And then, now, here we are.
Cory Loykasek: Well then, we moved to LA, and we all lived together, so we made a TV show out of the house that we all lived in together.
Frankie Quiñones: It’s a web series called My Roommate, My Friend, and it turned into a TV show for TBS. We all lived together. Rob moved down the street.
Christian Dugay: What was so weird is they rebuilt his apartment exactly how it was.
Frankie Quiñones: The guy came — we had never done a TV show or nothing — and they’re like, “The guy’s going to come, the stage builder,” and we’re thinking he’s going to take all these measurements and all that. He came up with his iPhone, and he just took a picture like that. He’s like, “Alright I’m done.” We’re like, “Okay, cool. They’re going to make something that kind of looks like it.” We walked in, and we all got chills. They nailed it. The crown molding, everything, even the little stains on the wall, were an exact replica of our apartment.
Donny Divanian: The furniture, everything. Even my aunt’s old furniture she had, they found exact replicas.
Frankie Quiñones: Corey almost peed in the toilet, ’cause the restroom would look exactly the same.
Kirk Fox: In the TV series, I lived in the boiler room, which was so comfortable, I tried to stay there. That was exciting.

ScreenRant: Before we go, I want to hear from you. What do you want people to know about the movie before they go see it?

Robb Boardman: It’s a really unique film. Everyone in it is hilarious. This is a comedy dream team. And yeah, I think it’s a really fun ride, and I hope people enjoy it.
Cory Loykasek: I think it’s safe to say, too, we all enjoy hanging out with each other, and hopefully you watch the movie for 90 minutes, or however long the movie is, and you get to just relax and feel like you yourself are hanging out with people, and just connect and have a good time.

Plantman & Blondie: A Dress Up Gang Film premiered on March 14 at SXSW. As of now, the film does not have an announced theatrical release date.

Location: Austin, Texas
Description: The SXSW Conference is an annual event held in Austin, Texas, that celebrates the convergence of technology, film, music, education, and culture. It features a diverse range of programming, including keynote speeches, panel discussions, exhibitions, networking events, and live performances, attracting professionals, creators, and innovators from around the world to explore new ideas and emerging trends.
Dates: March 12–18, 2026