by Mattie Lucas
Cinema from a Decidedly Queer Perspective
Femme | 2024
I'm always a bit wary of the idea that the most virulent homophobes are actually self-loathing closet cases - it's always felt like a justification for hurled at bigots, as if homophobia is a weapon that's acceptable to use as long as it's someone you don't like. Of course, there's precedent for this - Kirby Dick's Outrage outed closeted anti-gay politicians nearly 20 years ago. The concept of hiding one's true self behind a sheen of hatred is nothing new, but it remains a tricky and often uncomfortable subject.
There's something agreeably no-nonsense about Alex Parkinson's Last Breath, a straight-down-the-middle, meat-and-potatoes true-life rescue thriller we rarely see anymore. Perhaps I'm looking at the past through rose-colored glasses, but there once was a time when mid-budget actioners like this were multiplex staples. Nowadays, you're more likely to see movies like this relegated to streaming rather than playing on a big screen.