Anna Baryshnikov in Nastasya Popov’s Fashion Comedy

“I would describe my aesthetic as Old World trash and treasure,” says Margarita (Anna Baryshnikov), a few minutes into Idiotka. “She’s milking a cow at five, but she needs to be at the ballet at 5:10. Loves a bargain bin.”

As a description of a style, it’s nonsense. As an illustration of an imagined wearer, it’s word salad. And yet there’s something compelling about its quirkiness — which, in its way, makes it a perfect encapsulation of Idiotka. The feature debut by writer-director Nastasya Popov is certainly messy, a mélange of contrasting tones and contradictory ideas. But darned if it isn’t bursting with enough personality to charm you all the same.

For the first act or so, Idiotka presents itself as a sendup of a certain soulless type of content. Margarita’s explaining her look in that very first scene because she’s filming a submission to get herself on a reality show for underprivileged aspiring designers. The emphasis is on the “underprivileged” part. Not only do contestants have to submit their tax forms to prove they’re impoverished enough to qualify, host Oliver (Owen Theiele) and producer Nicol (an appealingly icy Camila Mendes) are looking specifically to cast individuals who “want to pull back the curtain on their life” — glossy PR-speak for “have compelling sob stories.”

While Margarita’s Russian and Ukrainian Jewish immigrant family — grandmother Gita (Galina Jovovich), brother Nerses (Nerses Stamos) and father Samuel (Mark Ivanir) — are supportive of her artistic ambitions, they’re understandably wary of the show’s fixation on struggle. But with so little money that they’ve fallen half a year behind on rent for their tiny, shared West Hollywood apartment, they can’t begrudge her the shot at a $100,000 cash prize. And so she walks into an audition where Nicol and Oliver practically light up to hear that Samuel is fresh out of prison, or probe about her mental health. If she’s falling apart, all the better: “We love unhinged,” Nicol deadpans.

Popov has an ear for the calculated faux-compassion of showbiz, and Idiotka is sharpest as a commentary on the way stories of marginalization and trauma become commodified into a shallow but market-friendly “authenticity.” The directive for Margarita and her competitors, including Yeezy-inspired Jung-soo (Jake Choi) and Bauhaus-chic Malcolm (Shaun J. Brown), has less to do with showcasing their own style than reflecting their “unique cultural tapestry.” At one point, the phrase “profoundly ethnic” is offered as a grand compliment.

In interviews, Margarita is coaxed to sound “more victimized.” Off camera, Nicol encourages her to send in clips of her family, the more embarrassing the better. So far as Nicol is concerned, it’s all just “great material.” It does not matter what it costs Margarita and her family to perform their private pains for public consumption, or even whether those moments reflect their true experiences — only how effectively it can all be packaged for audiences.

But Idiotka’s industry satire loses its edge as the narrative balance shifts increasingly toward heartwarming family drama in the second half of the movie. The juxtaposition of these tones can feel as discordant and random as Margarita’s personal style, which I’d describe (affectionately) as “slightly curated laundry hamper.” One minute she’s surrounded by caricatures like a vapid life coach who dresses like and is in fact played by Julia Fox; the next she’s bonding with her dad as he confesses that since he got out of prison and off the bottle, his dreams are “very much Shawshank, no Redemption.” It can be difficult to tell, especially at first, whether we’re meant to see Margarita as deluded or determined, cynical or sincere.

If it’s disappointing that Idiotka doesn’t go as hard as it could, though, it turns out to be a pleasant surprise that its softer side works as well as it does. Popov has a great feel for the easy warmth coursing between every member of the family, even in moments of strife, and the cast share a fun and comfortable chemistry.

Baryshnikov switches between oddball comedy and heartfelt drama so nimbly that she almost makes the clashing vibes work. Jovovich is a delight as Gita, whose big personality is outmatched only by her even bigger heart. And Ivanir brings impressive depth of feeling to the story’s most overtly dramatic role, allowing us to feel the weight of Samuel’s regrets but also the genuine pride and joy he takes in his daughter. Collectively, they create the kind of home you could walk into and feel instantly at ease, reassured you’re surrounded by care and kindness. Even if the people offering it to you can be messy and imperfect, and even if they seem to be bickering with each other half the time.

The same applies to Idiotka. This is a film that frequently feels at odds with its own self — uncertain how far to take its cultural critique, how exaggerated or grounded to make its world, how jaded or idealistic to be at any given time. The one thing that’s never really in doubt is that it’s the product of a distinctive voice, full of invigorating potential.