A scene from ‘Unicorns’

TIFF ’23 Review: ‘Unicorns’ is romantic, not romanticized

‘Unicorns’ portrays the evolution of a stirring relationship between two people who must put aside their reservations to find happiness.

“Love is love.” It sounds simple enough, yet people are persecuted, shamed and punished for who they choose to care for — not to mention for how they may choose to live their lives. Finding acceptance can be incredibly gratifying, though it’s not always offered by those from whom it would carry the most meaning. Yet, being true to oneself and one’s feelings, no matter how difficult, can be the most fulfilling — even if it opens you up to potential heartache. In Unicorns, a chance meeting of two very dissimilar people opens possibilities that neither ever thought possible.

Luke is a single father working as a mechanic in his father’s garage. Though his young son, Jamie, is top priority, Luke (Ben Hardy) is still trying to make the best of his 20s with his dad’s help. One night, he wanders into a club in a South Asian area, where he sees Aysha (Jason Patel) performing a provocative dance routine to a crowd screaming in adoration. Their eyes meet and Aysha finds Luke in the sea of people. Sharing a passionate kiss, it’s only then he realizes she is a drag queen. In spite of their mutual attraction, Luke flees. But unwilling to let him slip away, Aysha devises a plan for them to get to know each other… which hopefully leads to something more.

One of the refreshing aspects of queer cinema is the confidence and genuineness with which it approaches concepts of gender and sexuality, both of which are fluid in this picture. There’s no element of peering from the outside in or cutting away from intimate moments. It’s about telling a story, not educating the audience. The chemistry between Aysha and Luke radiates from the screen, even as he’s reluctant to admit his feelings didn’t turn off the moment he found out she was a biological male. More important is how that relationship translates when Luke spends time with Ashiq, Aysha’s closeted, devout-Muslim persona.

While many are familiar with the extravagantly dramatic Western drag, South Asian drag skews more towards realism, mimicking the stereotypical Bollywood heroine. “Gaysian” is a niche scene in the UK that glitters all over the screen via Aysha and her closest drag friends. When Aysha takes the stage, she is in her element — and it’s a fun way to earn rent money. Conversely, Luke’s world is far less glamorous, though colour slowly seeps into it as Aysha’s brilliance chases away the darkness.

Watching Luke and Aysha grow closer is a beautiful experience as both actors achieve total authenticity — high praise for Patel who’s starring in his first-ever role.

Unicorns had its world premiere in the Special Presentations programme at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Read other reviews from the festival.

Directors: Sally El Hosaini and James Krishna Floyd
Starring: Ben Hardy, Jason Patel and Sagar Radia

Similar Posts

  • Review: TIFF 2019: ‘Spider’ shows you can never really escape the past (Includes first-hand account)

    In the age of the internet and social media, there is a permanent record of almost everything. But there was once a time when the sins of your past could be buried and the only chance of it resurfacing was someone spilling the beans or inadvertently coming across evidence. For those who eventually rose to positions of power or found legitimate success, this is a danger that constantly lurks on the horizon and threatens to potentially destroy everything they built. Unfortunately, leaving the past in the past isn’t always a unanimous decision. In Spider, the third point of a triangle returns and his former partners do everything they can to silence him.

  • Review: Determination is everything in this week’s releases (Includes first-hand account)

    A Quiet Place (4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray & Digital copy)
    The film follows a family who must navigate their lives in silence to avoid mysterious creatures that hunt by sound. Knowing that even the slightest whisper or footstep can bring death, Evelyn (Emily Blunt) and Lee (John Krasinski) are determined to find a way to protect their children at all costs while they desperately search for a way to fight back.

  • Review: Offbeat comedy ‘Rock the Kasbah’ gets a little off-key (Includes first-hand account)

    Existing is generally also a matter of adapting. Trying to subsist without adjusting to the uncontrollable evolution of life and circumstance is nearly impossible. Change comes in many forms and tones, not all of which will come easy or be agreeable; but that won’t stop it from happening. War is a major cause of transformation as it affects all manner of living and has the power to touch everything in its path. Though even through the ravages of violence can emerge new hope. Rock the Kasbah attempts to pave the way for positive reform in its unique way.

  • Review: ‘Only Yesterday’ gets new audience with English-dub (Includes first-hand account)

    For several decades, the animated films of Studio Ghibli have been some of the most acclaimed and revered. Following his Oscar win in 2003, most of the recognition has been given to director Hayao Miyazaki. Admirers began to scour his filmography, consuming all that he produced before and creating a Western demand for everything that came after; Disney has since taken up the charge of releasing English dubs of his movies for North American audiences. But Miyazaki is not the studio’s only director and since his retirement, attention has spread to other filmmakers at Ghibli. Now, Isao Takahata’s Only Yesterday is receiving a North American theatrical release to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

  • Review: TIFF 2019: ‘Crazy World’ makes its own rules (Includes first-hand account)

    It’s not a secret that mainstream Western films, particularly those produced by the Hollywood machine, follow a generic set of rules that dictate character development, storytelling style, visual specs and cast types. These formulas are being increasingly challenged, but they’re not going anywhere any time soon. Therefore, one of the best ways to have a different film experience is to seek out movies from other countries — particularly those establishing their film industry and culture within the constraints of their country’s resources. Crazy World is a Ugandan action movie made in their unique style with a pre-recorded “video joker” commentary.