Writer and director Matt Carter has played, coached and refereed for inclusive rugby for years. So it’s perhaps no surprise that the field he knows so well is where he chose to set his nuanced queer love story and debut feature film In From The Side.

Starring Alexader Lincoln, former star of British soap opera Emmerdale as well as the binge-worthy Everything I Know About Love, as Mark and Alexander King, known for indie film Charlotte: The Movie, as Warren, the pair embark on a clandestine but unstoppable love affair after meeting at a gay rugby club. Rookie of the team Mark is pulled in by the unmistakable charm of Warren, the formidable first team player, culminating in a drunken encounter that unlocks their magnetic and impossible-to-ignore infatuation with one another. However for Warren, in an exclusive relationship with another teammate, and Mark, in an albeit open relationship, but one not without its own strains, the pair’s connection finds them in a web of cheating and subsequent concealing as they struggle to keep apart from each other.

Whilst the enormity of their chemistry, both in lust and love, is resplendent on screen, In From The Side benefits from the charm also of the happenings around its leads. From the eclectic chosen family of the rugby team, the realism that characterises the dialogue, and the grime and poingiancy that coexist as the characters find acceptance on the rugby pitch, it’s safe to say that In From The Side emerges as more than just the love story at its core.

Sure to join the canon of truly radiant LGBTQIA+ releases of recent years, In From The Side is a compulsory watch for those looking to immerse themselves in a complex love story, that oozes heart, character, and queer brilliance.

In From The Side is available to watch now, head below for a taster via the film’s trailer…