Femme

"Femme," a 2023 thriller, grabs you and doesn't let go. It's the story of Jules, whose life is torn apart by a brutal homophobic attack. Things take a wild turn when he runs into Preston, one of the attackers, in a gay sauna. Jules is torn between revenge and something deeper.

This movie hits hard. It's gritty, real, and punches you right in the feelings. The actors bring their A-game, making every moment believable and raw. You're not just watching; you're living through Jules's pain and his complex road to possibly finding peace.

"Femme" is more than a movie. It's a deep dive into the aftermath of love & hate, showing how it scars everyone involved. It's uncomfortable, yes, but it's also incredibly powerful. It's one of those rare films that sticks with you, challenging you to see the world and its harsh realities in a new light.

Queer movies have been hit and miss recently as they always engage in the caricature of romanticizing the pains between the queer one and the closeted one.

Femme had all the chances of ending in the déjà vu world of sad gay movies but it does the opposite.

By showing incredibly realistic characters, with their emotional anxieties and doubts evolving in real time, by building an insane level of tension and ambiguity, Femme manages the impossible. It resets the queer love story to new highs. There are no arty effects, artificial pose, comfortable moments. This is a drama where love tries to find a place in mountains of pain.

At the center is identity and where each of us fits in defining our queer sensibility. I particularly loved the moments where the closeted one tries to create casual and romantic moments the way his mind can accept it. It's groundbreaking.

Difficult to watch but absolutely outstanding.

Adapted from an award winning short film of the same name, this follows the path of Jules (Nathan Stewart Jarrett), who after an horrific homophobic attack is drawn into the world of Preston (George Mackay) one of his assailants for revenge, or maybe not. Preston and his circle inhabit a different lifestyle of criminality and underlying violence which imbues this film with almost unbearable tension and we fear for Jules all the time. We are surprised by the availability of every kind of gay porn to access or contribute to, which could also be used as a weapon to destroy someone's life. The dialogue is authentic and compelling throughout and holds our interest until the scary climax. All the actors are excellent especially the two main guys.

Femme is a psychosexual thriller that's unbearably tense from the get go. A tale of revenge and repression that barely gives itself a minute to breathe. Every scenario and encounter is filled with a growing sense of dread which culminates in an explosive confrontation that's terrifying.

The power play between Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and George MacKay is incredible to witness. As it progresses Nathan Stewart-Jarrett goes from being uneasy and uncomfortable to having real power over George MacKay, who starts off absolutely terrifying and becomes more self conscious in the later moments.

Debuting directors and writers Sam H. Freeman & Ng Choon Ping announce themselves with a heavy film that depicts its violence in an unflinching fashion and has a power play that's suitably sexually charged. It's all helped by Adam Janota Bzowski's score which is always present at the right moment.

"Jules" (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) is a confident drag artist who runs out of cigarettes one night after coming off stage. He sets off to the local shop to replenish and encounters a gang of homophobic chavs. Maybe ill-advisedly, he responds to their taunts and when outside is followed and badly beaten. Not surprisingly, this experience turns the young man into a bit of a recluse. He struggles to come to terms with what has happened and this affects his relationships with flatmates "Toby" (John McCrea) and "Molly" (Antonio Clarke). His mindset changes, however, after a trip to a sauna re-introduces him to his protagonist "Preston" (George MacKay) who aside from being a bit of a thug, is clearly closeted too. The two hook up, it's raw and visceral - and his new mate drives off and leaves him afterwards! This, however, sows a seed in his mind and some You-tubing later leaves him with a plan to film and expose "Preston" to the very creatures with whom he exists. What he doesn't quite count on, indeed neither man (nor us) really, follows as the story evolves from one of violence and vengeance into one that might actually touch on something deeper. "Jules" learns to adapt to his nemesis's world of drugs, violence and hatred - even to turn it to his own advantage, and that elicits a response from his new found "friend" that is almost touching at times... Thing is though, can leopard's change their spots? NJS is superb here but for me it's MacKay who made me sit up and take notice. There is something distinctly authentic about his depiction of this screwed up bully and as the film progresses and the dynamic between the men changes, his is the character that I actually began to feel ever so slightly sorry for. Don't look for vindication at the end, there is a finish to the film but not to the story... This is a well written drama that snacks of realism and reminds us all that bigotry in all it's forms is still alive and well! It's certainly worth watching.