Plainclothes: A Moving Exploration Of Queerness In The 90s
- Jessy Sun
- Aug 31
- 3 min read
Plainclothes (2025), the feature debut of Carmen Emmi, is a gritty depiction of a closeted gay police officer’s inner conflict, where his day job enforcing the law conflicts with his queerness. The film is set in 1997 New York and follows Lucas (Tom Blyth) who works undercover to apprehend gay men during the height of the AIDs crisis. He cruises a shopping mall food court to seek out sexual encounters, luring men into the bathroom before escaping at the last minute and sending fellow cop Ron (Christian Cooke) inside to arrest them. Things become complicated when he encounters his target, Andrew (Russell Tovey), and develops a growing interest in him.
The story is told in two timelines: the budding relationship between Lucas and Andrew, and the New Year’s party at his mother Marie’s (Maria Dizzia) house. We gain insight into Lucas' complicated relationship with Emily (Amy Forsyth), who he had confided in, and his toxic, macho Uncle Paul (Gabe Fazio). The film switches between the different stories and characters, which can be messy and difficult to follow, but when done well, it is particularly effective in keeping the audience on its toes.
I appreciate how the film leans heavily into the 90s setting; the mixed usage of digital and VHS elevates both the visual aesthetic and the emotion. The vulnerability and anxiety of cruising are reflected in the streaky VHS footage tactfully spliced throughout the film. It creates a pervading haze of paranoia and surveillance, and I could feel the hyperawareness that Lucas possesses deep in my bones. The story is also always teetering on the edge, where we are never quite sure of the limitations, of who knows what and who will do what. Lucas cannot touch, speak or go into a stall. Recurring close-up shots of eyes, the lights too bright or the walls enclosed, the camera too shaky and blurry. Will anybody see them? Would Emily tell anyone? Do Uncle Paul, Ron, Marie know?
The colouring of the film also stands out. The sterile blue hues of the shopping mall and the dull greys of Lucas’ apartment contrasts the warm oranges of his mother’s home and the tender moments shared by Lucas and Andrew. These hues show where he feels the safest and the most passionate, and ironically enough, his mother’s home has a warm and loving atmosphere but is pervaded by the prying eyes of Uncle Paul and the fear of judgement from family.
Luckily, the film is not just style, it’s also substance. Instead of focusing on Lucas’ job and the police, his inner turmoil, self-acceptance, and relationships are front and centre. Lucas’ want for genuine love is subdued into anonymity, which unfortunately Andrew has fully succumbed to. The characters are teeming with raw emotion through the subtle acting. Blyth effectively portrays painful longing, and you can see this repression all over his face, veiled by the wandering eyes, the unassuming smirks and the intense gazes. The intimacy and chemistry between Blyth and Tovey is electric and pulls the film together.
As we enter the second half of the film. Lucas’ desire for Andrew only grows. Occupying positions as both the surveillor and the surveilled, Lucas pries into Andrew’s personal life, desperate for connection despite the precarious nature of their relationship. The story starts to lose itself a bit with some of the plot points perhaps a bit too predictable for contemporary audiences, but ultimately resolves itself in the final act. The internal struggle becomes external; the two timelines ultimately culminate in chaos in the middle of New Year’s dinner, ending on a brave and sympathetic final exchange.
Ultimately, I enjoyed Plainclothes a lot; there is not a single dull moment. It is gritty, horny and alluring; yet, its sense of desperate and confused yearning that penetrates every aspect of the film is what makes it incredibly engaging. It shows what happens when individuals are forced to repress a core part of their identity, coerced to live secret lives and the demoralising isolation caused by it.
Plainclothes will be released in UK theatres on October 3rd, 2025.
Edited by Lara Walsh, Co-Film & TV Editor
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