Femme (review) – a nerve-shredding neo-noir thriller

Femme arrives in cinemas nationwide on the 1st of December.

Some films leave an indelible mark as you walk from the darkness of a cinema into the light. Sam H Freeman and Ng Choon Ping’s outstanding neo-noir thriller Femme is one of those films. In “As You Like It”, Shakespeare famously wrote, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages”. With these words, Shakespeare suggested that we all perform throughout our lives, moulding who we are as we hide some parts of ourselves while elaborating on others to conform, rebel, or simply disappear into the background. Of course, he was right; we all have multiple personas depending on who we are with; we are social chameleons who adapt and adjust by playing the various versions of ourselves we have crafted since childhood. 

The best thrillers play with these multiple identities, blurring the lines between compassion, empathy and fear. Take, for example, Hitchcock’s Psycho. Norman is both dangerous and vulnerable, a psychologically torn young man formed through a past of hidden abuse and manipulation who defies simple social labels. The same can be said of George MacKay’s volatile Preston as a past victim of his violence, Jules, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, enters into a relationship with him based on a need for revenge. However, while Jules knows that Preston is his attacker, Preston doesn’t recognise Jules and is unaware of the cat-and-mouse game he is playing in a movie that dovetails nerve-shredding tension with deep discussions on the roots of homophobia and the protective personalities we all form in private and in public.  

Jules’ alter ego Aphrodite is a confident and sexy drag queen who takes to the stage at an east-London club every weekend, pulling in the crowds. As Aphrodite prepares for her usual routine, she notices a guy hiding in the shadows outside the venue. He’s cute but not your typical punter, as he looks at those coming in and out of the club from a distance. That young man is Preston, who later enters a local corner shop where Jules, still dressed as Aphrodite, is nervously buying cigarettes, knowing her appearance could place her at risk. But this time, Preston isn’t alone, and it’s not long before his gang of mates spot Aphrodite and begin making homophobic comments. Defending himself, Jules lets his stage persona do the talking, shaming Preston in front of his mates with devastating results as Preston launches a brutal attack outside the shop. 

Months later, Jules’ has all but relegated Aphrodite to the past as he attempts to rebuild his life and recover, distancing himself from his flatmates Alicia (Asha Reid) and Toby (John McCrea). But on visiting a local gay sauna, his past trauma returns when he spots the volatile Preston as he aggressively rebuffs a man’s advances. Jules immediately sees an opportunity for revenge as he nervously hooks up with Preston, who doesn’t recognise him outside his Aphrodite persona. They say revenge is a dish best served cold, and Jules is willing to wait as he develops an uneasy, often aggressive and taut sexual relationship with Preston, one he intends to post online, outing his attacker for all to see. But as time passes, the desire for revenge morphs into something far more complicated and damaging for both men.

Based on their 2021 short film starring Paapa Essiedu and Harris Dickinson, Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping build upon the neo-noir style of their short in creating a contemporary erotic thriller that understands and unpicks the root cause of so much of the homophobia that continues to thread through our society: sexual insecurity, fear and hyper-masculinity. Cinematographer James Rhodes’ use of neon colours, street lights, intimate soft glows and dark foreboding shadows builds an exquisite sense of unease, sexual tension, and threat as Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping allow the outstanding performances of MacKay and Stewart-Jarrett to take centre stage. 

Stewart-Jarrett’s exquisite performance sees Jules carefully adapt and adjust every part of his public performance to seduce his prey before landing a psychological blow that destroys the foundations on which Preston has built his public persona. It would be easy to label Jules’ actions as a symptom of Stockholm Syndrome. But Stewart-Jarrett’s performance is far more complex in its psychological discussions as fear, arousal, anger, and excitement merge on the uncertain and unplanned road to revenge. Equally, MacKay’s powerhouse performance as the violent, troubled, yet vulnerable Preston is both chilling and heartbreaking. MacKay beautifully explores a man torn in two with a destructive past that, while largely hidden from view, has shaped his present. In MacKay’s hands, Preston’s tattoo-covered body, clenched fists, and gritted teeth are a mere cover for the innocent, insecure boy who screams for release. 

Under the guidance of intimacy coordinator Robbie Taylor Hunt, the erotically charged sex scenes morph from a series of aggressive early encounters into something far more complex as Jules’ encourages Preston to embrace sensuality over aggression. As we watch their “quick fucks” transform into something more, themes of dominance, subservience and powerplay are explored as roles slowly flip and unexpected emotions seep into the spaces between each encounter.

As Jules’ and Preston’s nail-biting relationship of manipulation, sex, control and lies reaches its climax, Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping are happy to leave us with questions as they discard the temptation to wrap things up with a neat bow. This decision only heightens the impact of Femme as we watch Jules’ and Preston’s uneasy relationship shatter into a million pieces with no clear outcome for either man. There is no redemption for Preston or endorsement of Jules’ actions in Femme. Instead, we are asked to explore the masks we wear, the toxicity of self-repression and the root causes of homophobia, from boys being encouraged to express aggression over emotion to violence being seen as a social strength. The result is one of the year’s most striking and bold feature debuts and a masterclass in socially informed drama.