Unicorns

Really enjoyed this film. A great cast with some fine acting. Ben Hardy and Jason Patel are great as the two leads. It's another in a long line of LGBT movies that we Brits make so well. There is no sad ending and the main characters aren't tragic. Which usually happens in Hollywood movies in this genre. A realistic story that draws the viewer in and makes you root for the characters.

The story has several arcs, mixed racial relationship. Straight man meets gay man. Cultural dilemmas. And all handled with sensitivity.

Direction, cinematography and script are spot on. I was expecting another of those dreadful Netflix movies that I switch off after 20 minutes. However, this film was so good I watched it twice.

Luke is a mid-20s white man in London, divorced, with custody of his 5-year-old son, working as a mechanic in his father's garage. One night, he stumbles upon a south Asian nightclub, meets alluring woman Aysha, and they kiss, before he realizes that "she" is a drag queen.

Aysha feels an interest in Luke, and also needs a driver to drive her to various gayasian events where she performs. She tracks down Luke, and he agrees to the job because he needs the money. However, this develops into at least a friendship, as they do other things together, like sing karaoke.

So here are two people who are divided by race, culture, religion (Aysha's family in Manchester is Moslem), sexual orientation, and gender identity. Can they overcome all these differences, and be each others' unicorns?

I saw this at the world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, where the director said he was inspired by an out British Asian drag queen. He noted that South Asian drag was realistic rather than glamorous, and a certain number of the background characters were actual drag queens in their customary attire.

What amazing acting, casting filming! Like directors filming capturing clues each other notice about new people. I was so uncomfortable watching these two talk, I was walking on eggshells when Aysha was, and got that feeling like any moment someone would catch the characters out when they take Lukes son to the fair. Invested in these characters. Theres a shocking scene where I was truly stunned ( did it really go there?!)I had to rewind to see that moment again and then just gripped by how two characters NEW to everything ( it seems) inch their way through through the Aftermath with themselves and their families. And chuffed with the ending.

What a lovely movie, the trailer did not represent the gritty British move you will receive. Its a beautifully written film which just dark enough. Unicorns is lifting the curtain on a world many of us never see. You will ride a slow rollercoaster through this film, watching how an unexpected friendship grows. Luke is a 'geeza' a single dad and a mechanic, Ayisha a Gaysian Drag queen. The characters are thrust together as Ayisha needs a driver and Luke needs cash, their friendship and how it grows has been told in a way only certain filmmakers manage. Bravo

Both main actors were brilliant whoever cast them was bang on.

From the writing to the directing to the acting, this was a phenomenal piece of cinema! A beautiful love story with the clash of worlds handled so beautifully it wasn't the usual clichéd nonsense. Absolute credit to the actors, especially Ben and Jason, they were incredible. Fully fleshed out characters that were flawed, damaged, believable and you couldn't help but root for them. All ensemble actors did they're job so beautifully as well, not a single weak link in the casting. Hats of to the Director for bringing this incredible story to life. And yes, I'm aware I keep saying incredible but that is just what this film was. Couldn't look away from start to finish. Well done to everyone involved.