Hollywood is serving up more LGBTQ+ movies now than ever, but they’re still mostly tragic dramas, coming-of-age stories, campy comedies, or sweet rom-coms. And while we love those kinds of movies, sometimes we crave something dark, gritty, and dangerous.
It’s been nearly three decades since the iconic lesbian thriller Bound, starring Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon, caused a sexual awakening in ‘90s queer teens. Yet, we could probably name the number of LGBTQ+ erotic thrillers that have been made since then on one hand.
The upcoming movie Femme is set to fill that void. This debut feature from directors Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping follows Jules (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Candyman), who has made a name for himself in the London drag scene, performing as Aphrodite Banks. One night, Jules runs into a store to grab cigarettes while still in drag and is the victim of a homophobic attack by a man and his gang of friends. Later, Jules stumbles upon his attacker, the deeply closeted Preston (George MacKay, 1917), in a gay sauna, which presents Jules with the opportunity to exact revenge.
“Unrecognizable out of his wig and make-up, Jules infiltrates Preston’s life, and in doing so, discovers power in a different kind of drag,” the press statement reads. It sounds sexy, subversive, and a little bit twisted — exactly what we want!
Check out our favorite moments from the trailer that have us dying to see this quer erotic thriller come to life.
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One of our favorite parts of Drag Race is watching the queens chat, argue and help each other backstage and it looks like this movie will have some of that vibe too!
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For years it felt like we could only have "perfect" queer characters in movies to prove to the world that LGBTQ+ stories are valuable and worthy of screen time, but now, decades later, we want to see messy, complex queer characters behaving badly.
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Jules in drag is STUNNING! The makeup, the wigs, the costumes, it's all amazing.
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Any good erotic thriller will have transgressive sexual scenes and terrifying moments where the protagonist is in peril. While we don't relish seeing Jules attacked, the trailer makes it look like the film deftly navigates it, making the attack uncomfortable, scary, and the perfect catalyst for the revenge story to come.
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We are dying to see the scene where Jules discovers his attacker in a gay sauna and decides to strike up a relationship with the ultimate goal of seeking revenge. It sounds dark and twisted — two ingredients you need for an erotic thriller!
Femme will open in theaters in New York on March 22, and Los Angeles on March 29, with a national expansion to follow. Watch the full trailer below.
