PLAINCLOTHES

With two nice weekends in the books getting caught up at home, I also am getting caught up with some flicks I wanted to see. So far three, Plainclothes, Death of a Unicorn, and The Ugly Stepsister. All wonderful watches, the last a very disturbing and horrific take on Cinderella. But his post is my take on the surprisingly wonderful film, Plainclothes, one I was shocked I didn't hear more about. Fellow blogger Dave also mentioned it and seemed to enjoy it too. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival of January in 2025. and got one award and many accolades. Having just watched the movie, it's easy to see why. The cast, especially the two leads, is fantastic, bringing an emotional depth to a difficult story. Leading the award-winning cast is the hot Tom Blyth who plays a young twink-ish undercover cop, Lucas, who is assigned to patrol a shopping mall restroom to entrap the gay men who cruise there. A time I remember well!! Yes, this did go on. Lucus is already racked with anxiety about his own sexuality and the difficult predicament he finds himself, things are complicated when he falls for one of his targets, a silver haired daddy, Andrew, played by Russell Tovey. HUBBA HUBBA. Just when DID Tovey become a hot daddy? I digress. Set in upstate New York in 1997, the tense and moving thriller drama moves between the past and present, as Lucas grapples with his unresolved feeling.

The relationship between Lucus and Andrew feels effectively raw, largely thanks to the performances from Blyth and Tovey. The expectation of the casual hookups that was synonymous with the era amidst the AIDS crisis proves difficult for Lucas, who longs for something deeper. I also can relate to that too. While I was out and active after the AIDS crisis...I do recall once or twice when I started exploring sex wanting more from casual hookups...confusing sex with feelings. Hey, it's how many of us gay boys learned. I like that the director didn't shy away from showing the sexual nature of their relationship, with fairly graphic depictions of their physical encounters.

Plainclothes is not an easy film to watch, it's uncomfortable and raw and explores a world some know little of, but the way that the director so fearlessly chooses to depict the conflicted nature of his subjects is impressive. I don't know the ideas presented here are new, but they're certainly presented better than many of the films that have come before it. For me it may be a new classic gay film to view periodically as I said it stirred memories of my young gay years, with hook ups, and in some cases trying to go on dates, knowing full well, it was just an excuse to get together to have sex...like in the theater scene in this film. I know that situation well. The film also has a hell of a ending, and a couple twist and turn plots I so did not see coming. I highly recommend a watch.