The autumnal landscape of southern Poland shines in writer-director Kamil Krawczycki’s new feature, Elephant (Słoń), adding fresh layers to the familiar tale of a rural young man discovering his sexuality in a homophobic town. Bartek (Jan Hrynkiewicz) works multiple jobs to support himself and his mother, looking after their farm animals by day and helping... Continue Reading →
Mardi Gras Film Festival 2023 Review: Shall I Compare You to a Summer’s Day? (Bashtaalak sa’at) ★★★
An experimental blend of film, poetry, song and more, Shall I Compare You to a Summer’s Day? (Bashtaalak sa'at) is an art piece that defies linear narrative or easy interpretation. We may start with a play on Shakespeare, but where we’ll end up…well, that's anyone’s guess. Egyptian filmmaker Mohammad Shawky Hassan has given us a... Continue Reading →
Mardi Gras Film Festival 2023 Review: Lotus Sports Club ★★★★
At its core, Lotus Sports Club is the story of found family, and one relationship in particular. Filmed over five years in Cambodia, the documentary is both inspiring and poignant as it explores the strength and limitations of the bonds we create. The Lotus Sports Club itself is the creation of Pa Vann, a trans... Continue Reading →
Mardi Gras Film Festival 2023 Review: #LookAtMe ★★★★★
Banned in its native Singapore, Ken Kwek’s second feature #LookAtMe takes the city-state’s repressive laws to their disturbing end point to deliver an emotionally charged, Orwellian nightmare of a story about siblings fighting for freedom when society is pressuring them to submit. Identical twin brothers Sean and Ricky Marzuki (both seamlessly played by yao) are... Continue Reading →
Exclusive Interview: “it’s sexy, ludicrous & it’ll make you think” – Lewis Treston on his Austen-inspired comedy Hubris & Humiliation at Sydney Theatre Company
In a crowded WorldPride 2023 cultural calendar, one of the hottest tickets in town is the world premiere of Hubris and Humiliation by Lewis Treston at Sydney Theatre Company's Wharf Theatre, previewing from January 20th. A gay rom-com inspired by the work of Jane Austen, the play sees young Elliot being sent from Brisbaine to... Continue Reading →
The Queer Review 2022 – LGBTQ+ highlights of the year
As 2022 draws to a close, we ask some friends of The Queer Review, including prominent creators, performers, artists, and activists to share the LGBTQ+ culture or events that have sustained, stimulated, moved, inspired or brought them joy this year. We hope that you enjoy reading this eclectic selection of theatre, film, TV series, books,... Continue Reading →
Graphic Novel Review: Superman: Son of Kal-El Vol 2 – The Rising by Tom Taylor, Cian Tormey & Bruno Redondo ★★★1/2
Jon Kent, the newer, younger Superman gets to mix it up with the wider DC universe in Superman: Son of Kal-El Vol 2. Aquaman (two versions), Nightwing, Batman, Lex Luthor and more show up, and Jon comes out to his mother, Lois Lane. After the set up of Volume 1, writer Tom Taylor can really... Continue Reading →
Theatre Review: Queer As Flux (Sydney Opera House Studio) ★★★1/2
Following acclaimed runs at Brisbane Powerhouse and The Blue Room Theatre, Zac Callaghan’s one-person show, Queer As Flux, finally hits Sydney highlighting how all of us, as individuals and as a culture, are constantly in flux, transitioning, and becoming something new. When you come to think of it, perhaps we're all a bit trans. In... Continue Reading →
Book Review: Gay Man Talking – All the Conversations We Never Had by Daniel Harding ★★★1/2
Growing up queer can be an isolating experience. Many of us are shaped by the way that we retreated from the world while we figured things out, or by the way we faked it till we made it to who we really are. UK journalist Daniel Harding has looked back at these gaps in his... Continue Reading →
Book Review: Fraternity by Andy Mientus ★★★1/2
Broadway and television star Andy Mientus evokes the spirits of 1991 for his queer supernatural novel, Fraternity, set in... a fraternity. This is dark academia with 90s nostalgia, filled with the demons that young men face. We meet Zachariah “Zooey” Orson as he transfers to the elite Blackfriars School for Boys after leaving his old... Continue Reading →