December 27, 2024
Big Gay Movie Roundup: 13 Notable Films from 2024
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 16 MIN.
Femme
London drag queen Jules (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) runs afoul of a gang of tough guys and ends up being badly beaten in an impressive first feature from Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping. The leader of the pack is Preston (George MacKay), who is leading a double life: He's a hyper-masculine hoodlum when among his pals, but Preston pursues his deeper desires on the down-low when he has a chance. Spotting Preston at a gay sauna, Jules seeks revenge by plotting to video a sexual encounter with Preston and post it online. What he doesn't count on is starting to empathize with the wounded, frightened man he finds under Preston's rough exterior. Will love banish hate, or will the need for revenge overshadow all else?
MacKay has been on our radar at least since his international breakthrough in 2016's "Captain Fantastic," where he played the son of an eccentric genius living of the grid. He also starred, along with Saorise Ronan and Tom Holland, in 2013's "How I Live Now." His range and depth have been proven ever since, in films like "1917," but his work here leaves no doubt of his star quality. Co-star Sewart-Jarrett, likewise, has been a pro actor since the aughts, and this role feels like it should bring his career to a whole new level.
"Femme" is streaming at Apple TV+. Read the EDGE interview with Stewart-Jarrett and MacKay.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
