Opened: December 1, 2023

Directed by: Sam H. Freeman & Ng Choon Ping

Starring: Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, George Mackay, Aaron Heffernan, John McCrea, Asha Reid, Peter Clements, Charley Palmer Rothwell, Moe Bar-El, Nima Taleghani, Jackson Milner, Anita-Joy Uwajeh, Antonia Clarke & John Leader

Seductive, thrilling and dangerous, Femme is a nerve-wracking masterpiece that explores gender and sexuality with depth in its main characters.

Drag queen Jules (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) is horribly beat outside of a club by Preston (George Mackay). Three months later, out-of-drag Jules meets Preston at a gay sauna and begins pursuing him hoping to film and release a revenge sex video online.

Jules and Preston are brilliantly complex. While Jules is the protagonist, you’ll often question his motives. Meanwhile, the antagonistic Preston is so well acted by Mackay, you’ll have moments of softening for his character despite the evil he’s done.

There’s almost never a time where directors-writers Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping allow you to feel safe, but that keeps you on the edge of your seat for the entire film.

Final say: Don’t forget to breathe. ★★★★★