Written And Directed by Sam H. Freeman And Ng Choon Ping
Jules: "You like it. Not the ending you want. Yeah. I'm not your type. Yeah. You want a big man to treat you like a little bitch."
Preston: "Maybe."
Jules: "Come on then. Let's go. And you'll do what I say."
Okay, so here's a movie where you've got two men. It's not a love story but one where the themes of revenge and dominance absolutely blurred the lines as our leads meet under the worst of circumstances.
One night, you've got a confident gay man named Jules (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) who moonlights as a drag act named Aphrodite. Then there's Preston (George Mackay), a deeply violent and closeted guy. Jules and Preston get into during an altercation at a convenience shop and the former ended up being beaten by the latter and his friends.
Being the victim of a homophobic attack ended up shaking Jules to his core with his friends Molly (Antonia Clarke) and Toby (John McCrea) unable to get through to him. However Jules encountering Preston at a gay sauna (the latter not recognising him) gave him the perfect idea for revenge.
For the rest of the movie, Jules entered a clandestine relationship with Prsston, even lying to the latter's dodgy friends about being a former cellmate. He even charmed Preston's friends but the relationship was one where Jules initially submitted to Preston, even enduring the latter's volatile temper in parts.
However, it didn't take long, not only for Jules to regain his confidence, but also to reverse the dynamic between him and Preston. Preston seemed to enjoy the idea of Jules dominating him, even opening to Jules filming a sexual encounter between them when he wasn't making an effort to get to know Jules's friends.
In some ways, the movie did try to engineer a bit of sympathy for Preston, in spite of his dangerous tendencies. Jules intended to expose him online before changing his mind but Preston's reaction to Jules's deceit ensured this movie ended on an uncomfortable but believable note.
- The writers/directors originally had this as a short with Paapa Essiedu and Harris Dickenson in the Jules/Jordan and Preston/Wes roles.
- Preston leaving Jules an authentic designer hoodie after his fake one got destroyed in his confrontation with Jules. He was definitely falling in love with Jules.
- Standout music: The score from Adam Janota Bzowski had some good moments, including Sauna Reprise, Glutton For Punishment and Aphrodite Reveals to name a few.
- Chronology: There was a three month gap between Jules's attack and his revenge plan on Preston.
Femme oftentimes made for an uncomfortable watch, but it's lead with two captivating performances from both Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and George Mackay. Both excel in their respective roles with a tightly nuanced script, sublime direction and some very chilling moments. An absolute must see.
Rating: 9 out of 10
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