Femme

With queer cinema becoming more "mainstream" - for lack of a better word - it means that production companies are more willing to produce queer films which perhaps either wouldn't have been made, or would be very underground. What is so enthralling about queer cinema becoming a ever growing space for films, is that we are introduced to facets of queer culture that perhaps have not been on screen, but more fascinating is the queerification of genres of film. Femme is a delightful, neo-noir thriller from a queer perspective.

I simply adored this film. After Jules is attacked in the streets, he seeks revenge on the man who hurt him by luring him into a relationship to get revenge porn, but the story is not as clean cut as the film posits whether or not Jules is actually falling for this man in the process. By far one of the strongest aspects of this film is how it immediately grips you from the get go, with a fabulous drag performance, and it doesn't let go until the very end. It has a near perfect pacing, not only is there tension built from Jules trying to get revenge, but there's an incredible tension built by making you question what Jules' motives actually are. I had no idea where this film was going to go, and I loved that feeling.

What this film has to say about gender identity and performative masculinity, while also being a really compelling thriller, is just incredible. The film doesn't diminish the power masculinity has both in our society and for queer men but what was impressive was to see how femininity was also shown in a way which was powerful. What was fascinating was as the film progresses and Jules leans into a more masculine version of himself, it doesn't entirely dismiss that he doesn't like it since he's not himself, it actually shows him finding enjoyment and power in masculinity, questioning whether or not people keep an act up because they enjoy it or because they have to. Since our society is a patriarchy is the approval of straight men something everyone craves?

I adored as well how this film didn't paint either of their characters as purely bad or good, and I liked how it allowed Preston to be given some sort of understanding. He does an incredibly horrible thing at the start of the film, but over the course of the film you learn to understand why he did it. He's a product of society, of repressed desires, heteronormativity, internalised homophobia, and masculinity being valued above all else, so he has to act how he has brought up to think he should. Powerful storytelling to have you be constantly thinking about why people are doing what they are.

Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and George MacKay were phenomenal in these roles, lovely cinematography and such an amazing debut feature film