George McKay Had A Major Transformation For Drag Queen Thriller Femme

Directed by Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping, and based on their 2021 BAFTA-nominated short film of the same name, the forthcoming LGBTQ+ drama Femme tells the story of a London drag queen who is left humiliated and shaken after being targeted in a vicious homophobic attack. But when he later runs into one of his attackers, he begins plotting the ultimate revenge. Want to discover more about the much-anticipated LGBTQ+ thriller? Here’s everything we know so far about Femme.

Femme Plot

As per Variety, the film centres on a London-based drag performer named Jules, who suffers a horrific homophobic attack that destroys his life and career. Soon after the violent encounter, Jules re-encounters one of his attackers in a gay sauna — the deeply closeted Preston — who doesn’t appear to recognise Jules out of drag. Realising he has a chance to get revenge on Preston, Jules then seizes the opportunity to do so.

“Unrecognizable in his boy form, Jules insinuates himself into Preston’s life, but in so doing discovers power in a new kind of drag. What unfolds is a dangerous seduction that risks discovery and backlash at every moment,” an official synopsis reads.

Femme Cast

Per Deadline, the cast of Femme is led by 1917’s George McKay as Preston, while Candyman star Nathan Stewart-Jarrett portrays the character of Jules.

Femme Trailer

The first official teaser trailer was unveiled on Feb. 16, giving fans a first glimpse of Stewart-Jarrett and McKay in their leading roles.

Femme Release Date

Femme will premiere at the 73rd annual Berlin International Film Festival on Feb. 19, while a cinematic release date is yet to be confirmed.

Discussing the new release, directors Freeman and Ping revealed that the “seed of Femme” came from their desire to “flip” the classic neo-noir thriller on its head by “putting a queer protagonist at the heart of our revenge story.”

“We aimed to put our own stamp on a genre that we love but from which we have often felt excluded,” the pair said in a statement. “We realized that a queer reframing of such a hetero-centric genre was the perfect way to explore — and explode — conventional ideas of sexuality, masculinity, patriarchy, and identity.”