Femme is a masterclass in audience manipulation, and it left me feeling gutted for a character who just one hour earlier I was certain deserved zero sympathy. It’s a scary thing to acknowledge that many people who do bad things have good qualities, too. And that’s the crux of what makes Femme so impactful and impossible to shake.

It’s 2024, and a lot of us like to think we have our stuff together. Same-sex marriage is legal. Transgender individuals are supported in ways they have never been before. Now more than ever, though hate certainly remains, those who display our allyship loudly are succeeding in drowning out the noise. Still, to think homophobia doesn’t exist is a deluded take. Crimes against the LGBTQIA+ community happen. Many of them are spurred by an internalized homophobia that festers while the world increasingly embraces tolerance as the norm.

Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping’s Femme explores the physical and emotional brutality caused by this type of internalized prejudice and self-hatred, and it does so in a way that grips you from start to finish. Femme lets you know exactly what you’re in for from the beginning, starting with lead character Jules (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) preparing for a drag show in a rowdy club. The performance goes off without a hitch, but a run-in afterwards with a group of thugs ends with Jules becoming the victim of a violent, hate-fueled attack. He is inconsolable, becoming a recluse in the months following. His friends’ pleas for him to find some semblance of normalcy fall on deaf ears. The situation takes a turn when Jules spots one of his attackers (George MacKay) at a sauna and decides to exact his revenge. He initiates an encounter with the man we learn is named Preston, though his end goal isn’t totally clear. The pair’s relationship evolves, and lines are blurred between what is genuine emotion and what is fuel for Jules’ plan for retribution. It’s a conflicting ride, and as with most things in life, the answer is anything but black and white.

Femme is gritty, raw and beautifully shot – and the chemistry between the two leads is nothing short of electric. Stewart-Jarrett’s chameleon-like ability to transform his voice and mannerisms based on his surroundings resembles the posturing that many homosexuals feel forced to perform just to feel safe. For his part, MacKay in the role of Preston expertly tows the line between tattooed macho man and sad, sympathetic poser; one who is so terrified of his own truth that he will resort to violence to cover it up.

Along the vein of 2020’s divisive revenge flick Promising Young Woman, Femme reaches a conclusion that, while I found satisfying enough, others may find frustrating. And just as I said about Promising Young Woman, this is by design. No story about assault will ever be wrapped up in a pretty bow in 90 minutes. Even if revenge is won, the horror of the crime will always outweigh any fleeting hollow victory. There will never truly be any winners. Femme is a masterclass in audience manipulation, and it left me feeling gutted for a character who just one hour earlier I was certain deserved zero sympathy. It’s a scary thing to acknowledge that many people who do bad things have good qualities, too. And that’s the crux of what makes Femme so impactful and impossible to shake.

Grade: A

Oscars Prospects:
Likely: None
Should be Considered: Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography

Where to Watch: In Select Theaters

Cassie Hager
she/her @TheMovieMermaid
Fur mom and future MILF with a pop culture addiction. Highly addicted to coffee, yoga, and taking trips to the U.K.
Favorite Film: Jurassic Park
Sign: Gemini