Ancestors review
Toronto film festival: Saipan standout Éanna Hardwicke is a soulful gay man looking for a missing friend in a striking yet muddled debut
TL;DR
- The film addresses the pervasive contemplation of mortality among gay men in the 1980s due to the AIDS crisis.
- 'Ancestors' aims to connect past and future, living and dead, and explore how marginalized communities build their own societies.
- Set in 1988 London, the movie stars Éanna Hardwicke as Beau, who takes in Tiny (Jack Wolfe), a young gay man in need.
- The central relationship between Beau and Tiny is a friendship, offering a compelling, under-explored gay male dynamic.
- The film jumps between timelines and visual styles, focusing on themes of love, memory, and survival amidst the epidemic.
- While praised for Hardwicke's performance and some conversational scenes, the film is noted for its meandering plot and occasional stylistic missteps.
- 'Ancestors' is premiering at the Toronto film festival and is seeking distribution.