Unicorns

An alluring fusion of forbidden romance and colliding cultures, Unicorns stars Ben Hardy and newcomer Jason Patel as two people who might become lovers, if only they can build a bridge between their very different worlds.

Hard-working single father Luke (Hardy) has grown accustomed to settling for transactional sex in his fleeting parcels of spare time. But when he stumbles across an underground nightclub, he meets Aysha (Patel), a beautiful, seductive woman. Their first kiss yields fireworks — which are immediately followed by Luke’s sobering realization that Aysha is not the cisgender woman he thought, but a remarkably femme drag queen. Embarrassed, Luke departs.

Sensing a connection that might transcend sexual preference, Aysha tracks Luke down and offers him a night job driving her to performance venues. Needing the additional income, Luke tentatively accepts this offer of work and is introduced to London’s thriving underground “gaysian” scene. Spending more time together and navigating the challenges in their respective domestic lives that go beyond the paradigms of gender and intimacy, they face the question of whether or not there is a love that can exist beyond traditional labels.

Co-directed by Sally El Hosaini — who made a splash at last year’s Festival with Opening Night Film The Swimmers — and filmmaker-actor James Krishna Floyd, Unicorns alternates between the thrill of raw desire, the gravity of familial responsibility, and the transformative power of being seen for who you really are.

JANE SCHOETTLE

Official Selection, 2023 Toronto International Film Festival

Content advisory: accident trauma; bullying; strobing/strobing effects; violence