Nathan Stewart-Jarrett’s Jules pursues revenge on his attacker in this London-set revenge thriller.
The revenge thriller is a film genre that never grows old.
The latest entry, Femme, stars Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as Jules, who performs as the drag act Aphrodite. While dressed as Aphrodite one night, Jules is brutally attacked on the streets of London by a group of men led by Preston (George MacKay).
He becomes a recluse and the shell of the fun-loving person he used to be and stops performing. When he eventually decides to venture out, Jules comes across Preston in a gay sauna and decides to trick him into a relationship and out him as a gay man.
Femme, directed by Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping, is a very effective thriller. The sense of tension and uneasiness is palpable early on because Jules puts himself in a risky situation with Preston. The tension dial keeps getting turned up and the story comes to a head in the most sensational way with some seriously intense and gripping final scenes.
MacKay, who is probably best known for the war movie 1917, completely transforms as Preston, who is covered in tattoos and speaks in a common street accent. He hates himself and takes his pent-up anger out on others. He is a short-tempered thug who can flip at any time so you may feel on edge whenever Jules is with him.
It’s hard to understand why Jules would put himself in such a dangerous position and fake being into his attacker, but revenge makes people do crazy things! However, he starts to feel doubts about his plan once he gets to know Preston and that causes problems.
Stewart-Jarrett plays Jules with so much sensitivity and nuance that you can’t help but support him despite his risky choices. Also, his drag transformation is remarkable – hats off to the hair, make-up and costume team!
This nail-biting thriller is one of the strongest U.K. films of the year. Don’t miss it.
In cinemas Friday 1st December.
© Cover Media