Thursday night was no ordinary night at Trylon Cinema in South Minneapolis. 

Rather, it was “a historic cinematic night of film at the movies.” Or at least, according to The Onion’s promotional poster.

The Onion’s satirical Jeffrey Epstein documentary, “Jeffrey Epstein: Bad Pedophile,” debuted at Trylon and several other small theaters across the country. 

Known primarily for its satirical news articles, The Onion marked its latest foray into national events with a fictional investigative documentary of deceased billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, arrested in 2019 for sex trafficking minors. The satirical documentary, or mockumentary, interviews several mock experts who share their opinion on the true cause of Epstein’s death, whose declared suicide remains a political scandal. 

For Trylon Executive Director Barry Kryshka, screening the film presented a unique opportunity to branch out beyond Trylon’s primary focus of showing classic older films. 

“It doesn’t fit the core of what we’re doing, but it does bring a ton of people in for the first time, and it’ll be super fun,” Kryshka said. “I guess our non-official mission is to make people have film experiences together.”

Founded in 2009, the cinema’s mission is to cultivate community by screening classic, contemporary, independent and foreign films. A nonprofit operating largely through volunteers, Trylon is Minneapolis’s only full-time, year-round revival cinema, with the majority of its programming focused on films from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. 

Trylon’s current series, “Nixonland: Horror in the Vietnam Era,” focuses on horror films released during the years of President Nixon’s administration. 

To Kryshka, having The Onion’s mockumentary screened at Trylon was less about making an outward political statement, and more about the opportunity for small theaters to assert their independence.  

“Trylon is not pro-Jeffrey Epstein,” Kryshka said with a laugh. “But honestly, what we’re really not into is the fact that someone produces a film and makes an arrangement and to have it screened in theaters, and those theaters back down because they’re afraid there will be political repercussions.”

“We don’t love theaters being told what to show,” Kryshka added. 

Both of Trylon’s screening times for the mockumentary sold out, bringing in a wide array of The Onion enthusiasts to the theater. Minneapolis resident Wes Burdine, who spoke with the Minnesota Daily prior to the 9 p.m. screening, hoped for some momentary escapism in light of current events. 

“I guess I’m really excited for a really weird set of something funny and lighter among everything being s— in the world,” Burdine said. “I have no idea (what to expect), I guess I’m only really expecting weirdness.”

Jessica Woudsma, interviewed after the 7 p.m. screening, was happy to support two institutions near to her heart. 

“First off, I wanted to support Trylon, because they’re a pretty fantastic thing we have here in the Twin Cities,” Woudsma said. “And The Onion has been such a helpful thing in the face of sh—y things going on, so I thought this was also a way to support them.”

Woudsma said the movie did not disappoint. 

“I haven’t felt this way in a long time, and I feel like I’m going to hell for how much I laughed and what I laughed at,” Woudsma said. 

Another moviegoer, Jackson O’Brien, echoed both points.

“It was strange and upsetting and the funniest thing I’ve seen in quite some time,” O’Brien said. “Trylon is the best theater in Minnesota.”

The Onion’s mockumentary arrives at a time of increasing political pressure on the media and entertainment industries from the Trump administration to censor themselves. 

President Donald Trump has filed defamation lawsuits against several media companies in recent months, while ABC temporarily pulled late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel’s show from the air following pressure from Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr. 

Kryshka says that, as a nonprofit theater without corporate oversight, Trylon has a responsibility to remain open to showing films from across different viewpoints. 

“We feel kind of that way for both causes on the left and the right,” Kryshka said. “We should err on the side of being open.”

Having been with Trylon since 2009, Kryshka says he loves bringing people together at the movies, even if it is for a satirical documentary about a disgraced billionaire.

“It’s absolutely my favorite job,” Kryshka said. “I care less about what the film is and more about creating an experience for a bunch of people to share in a space.”