Femme

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.

Femme is a brilliantly tense and gripping thriller that will truly have you on the edge of your seat.

It follows drag performer Jules who seeks a unique sort of revenge on the perpetrator of a homophobic attach against him. It's a thoroughly unique and engaging and superbly constructed plot that keeps pace and momentum throughout. It really feels like anything could happen at any moment which gives the film such a great energy.

The greatest thing about this film though is the two lead performances from Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and George McKay. They are both exquisite and bring such intriguing complexity to each of their characters. The dynamic between them is so hard to capture but they both do it so well. The performance from McKay is particularly strong as he cultivates this anything could happen tone through his erratic portrayal of the character.

Aside from the brilliant performances and plot, the tone and style of the film are great and make for a rich and engaging film.

Femme is a powerful, punchy, and unique piece of cinema that will have you hooked from start to finish.

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.

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.

I sat watching this after a heavy meal in the evening and had been afraid I might have dropped off. Not a chance. The writing and direction, let alone the two main characters, kept the tension high all the time. An hour and forty minutes seemed to speed by.

I'd been worried that I might not get into the film as the world of drag and effeminacy is not mine. However the brilliance of the acting swept all such doubts aside as Jules and Preston developed their affair.

This isn't a simple revenge film. There's more to it than that and the film starts to delve into real feelings that the two lovers develop for each other.

The ending is bleak but leaves enough scope for hope. I recommend this film.