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On this page: SHE'S THE HE | THROUPLE | THE VISITOR

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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL | Last update 12.Mar.25

She’s the He
Review by Rich Cline | 3.5/5

dir-scr Siobhan McCarthy
prd Vic Brandt, Halley Albert
with Misha Osherovich, Nico Carney, Suzanne Cryer, Malia Pyles, Tatiana Ringsby, Mark Indelicato, Emmett Preciado, Kyle Butenhoff, Aparna Nancherla, Derrick DeBlasis, Emma Orr, Olivia Cade
release US Mar.25 sxsw
25/US 1h22

SXSW FILM FEST

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Snappy and colourful, this is a rare comedy that plays knowingly with issues of gender and sexuality. Writer-director Siobhan McCarthy adds animated flourishes and heightened wackiness at every turn, but at its core this is a remarkably sensitive approach to a big topic. Most intriguing is how they spin the usual cross-dressing comedy antics into something much more meaningful, tapping into how it feels to discover a queer identity.

Annoyed that everyone at school thinks he and his best friend Ethan (Osherovich) are a couple, Alex (Carney) is determined to prove he's straight. A relentless horndog, Alex comes up with an idiotic plan to sneak into the girl's locker room. When they're caught, they pretend to be trans. Realising this might be true, Ethan is encouraged by cool girl Sasha (Pyles), Alex's crush. Meanwhile, Alex finds unexpected commonality with the nonbinary Forest (Ringsby), who also helps Ethan on her journey into her trans female self. But Ethan's mother (Cryer) just can't understand this.

Rapid-fire dialog delivers a steady stream of funny observations and witty character details. This sometimes makes the film feel hyperactive, as some of the pointed jokes get lost in the chaos. And some of the conflicts that propel the plot feel like they come from a screenwriting textbook rather than real life. For example, everything leads to an epic school brawl that's hilariously bonkers. Although aside from its superbly unapologetic punchline, the sequence doesn't add much to the narrative.

Even though much of the film is heightened and broad, the actors are able to add realistic edges to the characters, creating likeable people even when they make mistakes. Osherovich has terrific screen presence as Ethan, who has never considered that she might have a future, until now. And while Carney's energetic Alex thoughtlessly misuses identity issues, it's also clear that his heart is in the right place. Surrounding roles are equally complex, adding both comedy beats and underlying meaning.

Indeed, there are terrific observational moments peppered throughout the film, adding resonance amid the silliness. An older gay student (Indelicato) helps our heroes understand that they need to stand up for what's right, even if it costs them their reputations. And along the way there's a subtle but important note as Ethan's mother, even as she struggles with Ethan's truth, reminds her that "how other people see you, that's not who you are".

themes, language, violence 12.Mar.25

Throuple
Review by Rich Cline | 4/5

dir Greyson Horst
scr Michael Doshier
prd Emmi Shockley, Phil Hughes, Kara Bartek
with Michael Doshier, Tristan Carter-Jones, Jess Gabor, Stanton Plummer-Cambridge, Tommy Heleringer, Taylor Turner, Charlie Reid, Beth Million, Nicky O, Mini Horrorwitz, Kailey Prior, Willy Mao
release US 14.Mar.25
24/US 1h32

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heleringer, doshier and plummer-cambridge

Infused with music, this enjoyably low-fi comedy is populated with young singers and songwriters who are still working out who they are. Director Greyson Horst gives the film a loose, handheld vibe that's warm and involving, while actor-writer Michael Doshier uses earthy, realistic dialog and a naturalistic approach to sex that makes these characters easy to identify with, even if the subject matter might seem rather provocative.

As his best pal Tristan (Carter-Jones) performs on stage in a Brooklyn club, wannabe musician Michael (Doshier) meets a friendly newly married couple, Georgie and Connor (Plummer-Cambridge and Heleringer). Afterwards, they invite themselves over. All three are nervous, but they find a connection when they open up about their feelings. Over the following days, Michael begins to feel like he's falling in love for the first time, although he can't help but wonder about the rules for this sort of thing. Meanwhile, he's helping Tristan grapple with her reaction when her girlfriend Abby (Gabor) proposes.

As the colourful imagery celebrates the most fabulous kinds of artistic expression in music and drag, the script tackles deeper issues in casual conversational ways, grounding serious ideas in lived experience. So the various wrinkles of the plot play out in internalised ways, offering increasingly intimate insight into human interaction, including a full range of reactions and misunderstandings, plus some glaring self-absorption.

Everyone in this story is determined to avoid being hurt, even as they put themselves out there. Each lead actor creates a fully formed character, which makes all five of them likeable. At the centre, Doshier's Michael is earnest and open-handed, which connects him strongly to everyone around him. Gorgeous moments abound between these people, such as when Georgie watches Michael set up Connor's secret drag fantasy. Or when Abby tells Michael off, then invites him in to talk.

As the story continues, the approach to the topic becomes more pointed, locating problems that need to be overcome in ways that require lateral thinking. In other words, the film's main message is that bailing on a relationship when things get tough isn't the healthiest way to live. So perhaps creativity is what's required, maintaining a connection and pushing it to a new level. This is such an unusual approach to storytelling that the entire film feels like a blast of fresh air.

themes, language, sexuality 9.Mar.25

The Visitor
Review by Rich Cline | 3.5/5

dir-scr Bruce LaBruce
prd Alex Babboni, Victor Fraga
with Bishop Black, Macklin Kowal, Amy Kingsmill, Ray Filar, Kurtis Lincoln, Luca Federici, John Foley, Adrian Bracken, Chloe Schlosberg, Paul Miller, Leolo Victor-Pujebet, Mathieu Morel
release US 7.Mar.25
24/UK 1h41

BERLIN FILM FEST

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With his typically guerrilla-style filmmaking, Bruce LaBruce creates another in-your-face satire centred around a global politics. This one is a British drama that takes no prisoners in its approach to immigration and class divisions. The unflinching imagery and narrative nod knowingly to Pasolini's classic Teorema by way of John Waters. LaBruce's explicit, sometimes grotesque storytelling and blatant sexuality will surely get audiences talking. Once they recover.

As a callous politician (Bracken in voiceover) rails about the dangers of immigration, a suitcase washes ashore on the Thames in London. From it emerges a beefy naked man (Black), who approaches a wealthy home, where he's taken in by the maid (Federici) and introduced to the enraptured upper-class family. While each one tries to resist him, he seduces them in their own ways: bored mother (Kingsmill), image-obsessed daughter (Filar), timid father (Kowal) and curious son (Lincoln). So when the visitor announces he is moving on, the family is devastated. And also reborn.

Accompanying the flickering visual colour washes and witty on-screen slogans ("Colonise the coloniser!"), Hannah Holland's wacky electronic score creates an almost outrageously other-worldly vibe. LaBruce gleefully transcends the rules of polite cinema with wildly graphic scenes that cross lines to convey extreme positivity about any kind of sexual expression. Much of this has a dreamy, surreal tone, as this family's identity is upended by this interloper.

While the film is heavily stylised, with arch performances that match the heightened atmosphere, there are also intriguing moments that are grounded, warm and funny. So even if there isn't much to the characters, the actors are able to reveal nuances, including glimpses of interest, lust and joy. That said, the film's overt satirical porn elements scramble the relationships within the family. Through all of this, Black has terrific presence as this pansexual revolutionary.

With his artful, humanistic approach, LaBruce is challenging the very notion of "illegal" migration, leading to a fascinatingly unhinged final act. This visitor intends to cause both destruction and new life, and indeed he opens the eyes and hearts of this family to new expressions of who they are. LaBruce sees sex as liberation for people stuck in oppressive political, class-based and religious systems, so he delights in being deliberately transgressive and even profane. And the pointed message is that we should love everyone, in every possible way.

themes, language, violence, sexuality 5.Mar.25

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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL