Seduction for revenge is one of those dynamics that has been so broadly covered by Hollywood over the years that it feels almost impossible to stay away from clichés. But that doesn’t apply to directors Sam H Freeman and Ng Choon Ping’s debut feature film. Femme is a story of power, privilege, and the depths of how nuanced queerness can be, exploring the layers of identity, self-expression, and how both freeing and hurtful embracing your true self is. Leads George MacKay and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett delivered everything they had as Jules (Stewart-Jarrett) and Preston (MacKay), two gay men with so much in common but so little at the same time.

Femme makes you sit on the edge and bite your nails, a queer psychodrama drenched in unbearable tension, unspoken emotions, and stomach-turning scenes. Both characters are performers. Jules is a drag queen, and Preston a closeted homosexual. The first time they share a screen is when Jules, ready to go on stage for her show in East London, makes eye contact with Preston, an extremely straight-looking bloke, covered in knock-off streetwear and tattoos, outside a club. Later that night, they cross paths again, but Preston is now with a gang of mates. Their interaction ends as a brutal homophobic attack, deeply scarring Jules emotionally and physically. Cut to three months later, when Jules, now undressed from her stage persona, sees Preston in a gay sauna.

For such a violent film, Femme has an underlying delicacy at times, as we watch the characters connect in a way that audiences almost forget for a second the brutality of the nature of this encounter. Jules realises quite early on and with the coldness of someone who’s thirsty for revenge that Aphrodite Banks (his drag name) worked as a shield on the night of the attack, as Preston doesn’t seem to remember him at all. As the tale develops, and we see Jules so wisely cracking up this despicable man that’s Preston, we slightly get taken away by the delusion of a romance blooming and an ever-waiting happy ending. There’s so much to hate about Preston, but without knowing anything about his background, you pity his sadness, cowardice, and nonexistent sense of self-love.

Femme is beautifully constructed, developed from an earlier award-winning short film of the same name, introducing two extremely complex characters as a taut study of the disguises of masculinity. For this year’s BIFA, Femme received 11 nominations, with Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and George MacKay taking home the award for Best Joint Lead Performance.

To take a deep dive into his mind-blowing construction of Jules and the power of stepping into such a heavy character’s shoes, we connect with actor Nathan Stewart-Jarrett.

Watch the trailer for FEMME…

Read the full interview…

Nathan, congratulations on the release of Femme. Could you tell us about your initial reaction when you first read the script and discovered the story?
Thank you. Yeah..the first read, I was so confronted. I steamed through it and I’m a slow reader. The dynamic between the two characters and the duality of Jules – I was hooked.

Did you always know you wanted to be an actor? Who were your early career influences?
I’ve always loved movies but when I was younger I kinda preferred reading where I was more in control of my imagined world so I didn’t actually know straight away that I wanted to act. Later on influences were mainly just watching films. What’s Up Doc?, BIG, Bringing Up Baby..and then later The Dreamers, Virgin Suicides..it was more about the film than any particular actor.

In Femme, Jules goes through a traumatic experience. What kind of preparation did you undertake to emotionally connect with this character?
That’s hard. It’s always different for each character and even each scene. I remember I tried to start in a certain physical state or position and let that inform me. So much of Jules’s life was about what was happening physically: being attacked, dancing, finding peace in a sauna..so it was important to let that be the starting point – and then let the ball roll and see!

Did you have to learn specific skills for the role? How was the experience of portraying Jules?
Jules was tough because in effect I had to be three different people, or at least the same person with three personas. So it was all about levels. I can’t really say that I learnt how to be a drag artist because I feel like that’s an art form and kind of someone’s calling or life work. But I learnt the steps of that, like the blueprint. I dunno, specifically I suppose I learnt how to create a persona or character (Aphrodite) and inhabit that – but that’s exactly the same as being an actor!!

Femme has been well-received at the Berlin Film Festival. What do you think makes this film resonate with audiences?
Again, tricky. These are hard questions! It’s different for each; which is, I think, what makes the movie powerful. It’s a movie, an erotic thriller, so you always want people to be entertained. To not know what’s coming, to be surprised by a character’s next move. Outside of that some people have responded to the assault that happens to Jules, which is something in our society that must be discussed and remedied; but also people have reacted to the display of toxic masculinity and the performative nature of that. I like the complexity around Jules and Preston’s relationship (if it should be called that). I like that it’s not rational or linear. Like life.

What are you most proud of in your performance?
Honestly, completing the film and not being completely broken afterwards. Of putting all the shit and ick of my life into my performance. Hoping that’s the start of something, able to really go somewhere when acting without upending my life.

With the film out now, what are your expectations for the film?
No expectations, that’d be odd. But my hope and bet the hopes of the filmmakers is a turnout of Barbienheimer proportions.

And how do you hope it will impact the LGBTQ+ community and broader audiences?
I always say that the hope is that it creates awareness and starts and furthers conversations. But really maybe I’m wrong and that it should foster empathy. We always feel that if something doesn’t affect us or relate to us it’s not happening. So maybe the hope should be that it reaches the widest of wide audiences to remedy that.

Looking beyond Femme, are there any upcoming projects or roles that you’re particularly excited about or that you’d like to share?
I’ve got a show on Disney+ called Culprits. It’s out now and is about a heist: and is sharp, fast and funny. I spend an extended period in a trash can like Oscar the Grouch. Now that’d be a role!

Femme is out in the cinemas now in the UK, and available on digital platforms from January 15th.