Photo from American Honey
By Jenni Holtz
@queerxoh
10. M.F.A. (2017) directed by Natalia Leite, written by Leah McKendrick
M.F.A. (2017) is a rape-revenge film for a culture that has finally begun to hold abusers accountable. The film, unlike the vast majority of rape-revenge films, is written and directed by women. Director Natalia Leite has said in interviews that she decided to make M.F.A. because it spoke to her own experience with sexual assault in a college setting. The film’s premiere at SXSW coincided with the start of survivors speaking out against Harvey Weinstein, making the movie feel even more timely. The film follows Noelle (Francesca Eastwood), an art student as she navigates her master’s program, relationships, friendships, and, of course, the accidental murder of her rapist. The quintessential college experiences. The assault and murder leave Noelle shaken and empowered, lighting a spark in her. She begins to fight back on behalf of others who were assaulted, landing herself in sticky situations that raise questions about the ethics of murdering rapists, what accountability should look like, and what happens when, like Noelle, vigilante justice feels like the only solution.
Where to watch: streaming on Amazon Prime; rental from Amazon, Youtube, Google Play, and iTunes.
9. Carmilla (2019) directed and written by Emily Harris
Emily Harris’ Carmilla, based on the gothic novel written by Sheridan Le Fanu in 1872, is a vampyric lesbian coming of age story. Harris’ feature film debut is creative, anxiety-inducing, and indulgent to look at. The 19th century costumes are spliced with close-up shots of flowers blooming, worms squirming, and visions of vampyric acts. The protagonist, Lara (Hannah Rae) is a curious young woman whose interest is sparked by the arrival of a mysterious girl (Devrim Lingnau). The girl is sick and does not know who she is, so Lara’s parents agree to let her stay. Lara calls her Carmilla and the two become close, developing a secret romance under the noses of Lara’s religious parents. Carmilla is a gothic tale with the perfect amount of forbidden romance and nods to vampirism.
Where to watch: Official release date is T.B.D. in 2020, so keep an eye on local film festivals and arthouse theaters for screenings!
8. All About Nina (2018) directed and written by Eva Vives
Eva Vives’ film All About Nina is an all-too-familiar story about a woman facing her trauma and learning how to build relationships after traumatic events. Vives changes the story from the typical narrative by allowing the protagonist Nina Geld (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) to showcase the broad spectrum of emotions that come with healing and self-discovery. Nina navigates the aftereffects of sexual abuse in her childhood and domestic violence in a previous relationship all while pursuing a career in comedy. Nina’s standup scenes are a much-needed moment of comedic relief. They also help to ensure Nina isn’t painted as overly victimized. She is a successful woman in a new, exciting relationship with Rafe (Common) who is also working on herself. As the title suggests, the film really, truly is all about Nina in her entirety: faults, triumphs, funny moments, and all. All About Nina is unique because it is extremely real and allows its female characters to shine rather than shoe-horning their characters into singular representations.
Where to watch: streaming on Netflix and Hoopla; rental from Amazon, Youtube, Google Play, and iTunes.
7. American Honey (2016) directed and written by Andrea Arnold
American Honey, at nearly three hours long, feels like a meditation on class, race, and the other issues that come along with young adulthood through the journey of Star. As a teenager, Star (Sasha Lane) leaves her troubled home life behind and joins a nomadic door-to-door magazine sales company led by Jake (Shia LaBeouf) and Krystal (Riley Keough). For most of the film, the team is travelling from motel to motel, building relationships and friendships along the way. Lane’s performance is mesmerizing. She holds strength, fear, and struggle while putting on her best sales face and finding her place in the sales team. Though the movie is certainly a feat to watch due its emotional nature and long runtime, American Honey is well worth viewing for Sasha Lane’s incredible feature debut.
Where to watch: streaming on Netflix, Hoopla, and Kanopy; rental from Amazon, Youtube, Google Play, and iTunes.
6. Mosquita Y Mari (2012) directed and written by Aurora Guerrero
Aurora Guerrero’s film Mosquita Y Mari is a hidden gem that deserves much more attention than it received upon its release. The film centers Yolanda (Fenessa Pineda) and Mari (Venecia Troncoso), two Chicana high schoolers who become friends after they’re paired up for a class assignment. Their friendship grows quickly and veers toward romantic at times, bringing up the intersection of Chicana and lesbian identity in its earliest stages. Yolanda, nicknamed Mosquita by Mari, strives to attend college to make her parents proud. Mari’s father died recently, pushing her to become the primary caregiver for her younger siblings as her mom works to support the family. Their different backgrounds make them wary of each other, but there is an inexplicable pull between the two, making for a tender and bittersweet look at their first queer crush.
Where to watch: rental from iTunes.
5. Knives and Skin (2019) directed and written by Jennifer Reeder
Carolyn Harper (Raven Whitley) – mom is Lisa Harper (Marika Engelhardt)
Jennifer Reeder’s new film Knives and Skin is a bold feature debut that blends the best of the genres of horror, comedy, and drama. The film begins with the disappearance of beloved marching band member Carolyn Harper (Raven Whitley). As the town searches for Carolyn, Reeder explores the toll it takes on three of her classmates: Charlotte (Ireon Roach), Joanna Kitzmiller (Grace Smith), and Laurel (Kayla Carter). The home and school lives of each student is explored, making for a large ensemble cast full of a mess of experiences including affairs, mental illness, and mourning. All these heavy topics are addressed with a witty cynicism, making the film feel self aware. The quippy dialogue, avant-garde costumes and makeup, and creative lighting and cinematography choices make Knives and Skin an extremely enjoyable film to watch.
Where to watch: screenings in select theaters; rent from iTunes, Vudu, or DirectTv.
4. The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018) directed by Desiree Akhavan, written by Desiree Akhavan and Cecilia Frugiuele
Based on the 2012 novel, Desiree Akhavan’s film The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a quietly uplifting film about one young woman’s experience of being sent to a conversion therapy inpatient program. The film is set in the early 1990s, but even today, conversion therapy is still legal in thiry states in the U.S. and was only recently banned in Canada. Cameron (Chloe Grace Moretz) is sent to the therapy program by her parents after getting caught having sex with another girl on prom night. In the program, Cameron meets Jane (Sasha Lane) and Adam (Forrest Goodluck). The three form their own chosen family that is crucial to their survival of the program that tries to devalue their identities. Though deeply sad in nature, Akhavan finds moments of joy and acceptance for her characters, crafting a film about a dark subject matter that manages to reveal glimmers of hope.
Where to watch: streaming on HBOGo, Hoopla, Kanopy, DirectTv; rental from Youtube, Google Play, or Vudu.
3. Raw (2016) directed and written by Julia Ducournau
Don’t you just hate it when you go to veterinary school and become a cannibal? Then Raw is the movie for you! Julia Ducournau’s body horror feature is a poignant story about budding sexuality presented through cannibalism. Justine (Garance Marillier), a lifelong vegetarian, begins veterinary school at the same academy as her sister, Alexia (Ella Rumpf). Justine befriends her roommate Adrien (Rabah Nait Oufella) as they go through first-year hazing rituals that embarrass and disgust them. During one, Justine must eat raw rabbit kidney, breaking her vegetarian diet. The taste of animal flesh awakens a strong desire within Justine. She needs to eat flesh to avoid developing a nasty rash. As Justine searches for the source of the problem, she uncovers family secrets, gets closer to Alexia, and explores her sexuality for the first time. If you can stomach some ravenous flesh-eating, Raw is an amazing coming of age film unlike any other.
Where to watch: rental from Amazon, Youtube, Google Play, Vudu, and iTunes.
2. Pariah (2011) directed and written by Dee Rees
Dee Rees’ film Pariah is a queer coming of age story about Alike (Adepero Oduye), a Black teenager coming to terms with her sexuality and gender expression while living with conservative, unsupportive parents. Alike’s friend Laura (Pernell Walker) is an out lesbian, giving Alike a role model and someone to help her navigate the LGBTQ community in Brooklyn. Alike and Laura have a complicated relationship that oscillates between platonic and romantic, creating extra stress for Alike as she struggles with her parents, school, and understanding herself. To add even more to Alike’s plate, she is in the early stages of a maybe-relationship with a classmate who may just be using her to experiment. Pariah is an intimate look at the Black lesbian experience, one that is not shown nearly often enough. The film is hard to watch at times, especially for viewers with similar experiences with intolerance to Alike. By the end of the film, though, Alike has taken her life into her own hands, ending with the beautiful line: “I am not running; I am choosing… I am not broken; I am free.”
Where to watch: stream on Starz or DirectTv; rental from Amazon, Youtube, Google Play, and iTunes.
1. Shirkers (2018) directed by Sandi Tan
Shirkers is a mysterious, fascinating, one-of-a-kind documentary. In 1992, a teenager in Singapore named Sandi Tan (the director) and her friends made a film with the assistance of an American mentor, Georges Cardona. He agreed to hold onto the reels holding the teen’s hard work as they went to study abroad. When Tan and her friends tried to get the footage back, then ran into a major problem: Georges was nowhere to be found. Years later, Tan got a hold of the reels from Georges’ late wife. Sadly, though, the audio tracks were missing, so, Tan decided to make something new with the reels and thus, Shirkers was born. Shirkers is comprised of footage from the film, archival footage, and interviews with those involved in making the film. It doesn’t have a ton of reviews, but Shirkers boasts a 100% score on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. It’s an excellent documentary that is a must-watch for anyone who enjoys mystery, filmmaking, and 90s aesthetics.
Where to watch: streaming on Netflix.
Jenni Holtz is a film critic, illustrator and master’s student in Media and Cinema Studies. They are a staff writer at In Their Own League and Flip Screen and have contributed to FilmEra and 14East Magazine. They are currently the staff illustrator and podcast host at 14East magazine. Their passions include transgender representation, genre cinema and cooking shows.
