Compelling Debut Feature "Blue Film" Dares to Delve Into Dark Territory

In Elliot Tuttle's debut feature, "Blue Film", the harsh realities of a relationship between a former student, Aaron (Kieron Moore), and his ex-English teacher, Hank (Reed Birney), with a scandalous past, take center stage. Despite an age difference, the pair finds themselves caught up in repeated sexual encounters within a hotel room. Their relationship, however, is tainted by a disturbing backstory: Hank was Aaron’s English teacher back in Maine and developed an inappropriate affection for him at the tender age of 12. This leads to Hank’s eventual job loss and imprisonment for an attempted act of pedophilia on another boy, James.

A sense of escape for Aaron comes by leaving Maine at 17. He rebrands himself as a dominant webcam performer in Los Angeles. When Aaron and Hank reunite, they engage in a deeply emotional discourse interrupted with challenging intimate moments.

"Blue Film" confronts viewers with a raw portrayal of a pedophile back in society and reconnecting with his former student, providing an uneasy look into unchartered areas of relationships and childhood trauma through a queer lens. Despite its provocative nature, its earnest portrayal around a topic rarely tackled on the screen or reality offers a compelling narrative that resonates.

As the unfolding narrative unravels, Aaron and Hank struggle with identity; Aaron is characterised by a veneer of dominance while Hank conceals his identity behind a literal mask, his former student's tipping point arrives when the latter reveals his identity and starts reminiscing about their shared past in a romanticised and disturbing fashion.

Throughout the movie, Aaron grapples with understanding the concept of ‘love’ that Hank spoke of, a sentiment hardly recognizable to him. Moore shines in his role as Aaron, confidently portraying the character's complex emotions as the narrative pushes him back towards childhood in order to fulfill Hank's sexual fantasies. Birney's chilling performance as Hank, a pedophile attempting to normalize his twisted desires through a veil of spirituality and romance, leaves audiences riveted.

"Blue Film" masterfully highlighted the perverted premise by interchanging intimate scenes with innocent home video footage, reinforcing the disturbing contrast. The film successfully captures elements of Gregg Araki’s empathetic drama "Mysterious Skin" and the humor-infused angst of Michael Cuesta’s "L.I.E", creating a resonating narrative. Tuttle's creation is a daring venture into the darker aspects of human sexuality, requiring viewers to juxtapose the extreme purity and perversity presented.