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With these theatrical kids, it's understandable that performances are heightened and goofy. And the likeable cast also finds serious touches, adding edgy subtext to their buoyant interaction. Pugliese's closeted Gene enjoys roughhousing with Greetham's physically expressive Oscar. And Suri's religiously prim Claire contrasts hilariously with Barlow and Kay's over-the-top divas Rose and Ally. Smaller alliances emerge between them, and unspoken truths begin to come into the open. Especially when these outspoken virgins start talking about sex.

With a rambling and sharply pointed conversation between five characters in one setting, the film does feel like a stage play. Although Wysocki's skilful direction makes it feel cinematic, with kinetic camerawork by Todd Bell and particularly strong editing by Christine Kim. At the centre, Gene is worried that his friends will look at him differently if he opens up to them, and indeed their expressions of tolerance feel judgy. But perhaps the truth is that they're still working out who they are and who they want to be.

themes, language

18.Mar.21 flare

Each role is demanding, so the performances are fairly intense, with raw emotions gurgling through most scenes. Watt gives Beth an intriguingly hard surface, which stiffens further as she confronts a past relationship with her best friend Lauren (Gordon-Anderson) as well as each painful day a sibling left home. Kin is another standout, with some particularly pointed scenes of her own. And each of the other actors feeds intriguingly into Beth's journey, while offering glimpses of their own experiences off-screen.

This is a lovely depiction of the role loved ones play in shaping, guiding and supporting us in our lives, and the way feelings play with our perception. The connections depicted on-screen are complex and provocative, digging deeply into the intense bonds within a family held together by love rather than shared genetics. The film's pace is uneven, especially as it becomes downbeat and murky, over-egging the melodrama and veering into fantasy horror territory. But the underlying ideas keep it rooted and involving.

themes, language, violence

15.Mar.21 flare

Each of the actors, including smaller side performers, digs deeply into his or her character, revealing underlying thoughts and feelings that give the film a remarkable kick, including several powerful parallel journeys. Leachman is of course iconic in a role that bristles with attitude, astute observations, witty throwaway lines and some wrenching emotion. Her chemistry with Duplesse's stubborn Russell is spiky with tender undercurrents. And he plays Russell's inner odyssey with bracing defiance tempered by openness to the world around him.

At its core, Connell's script is a knowing exploration of how love that doesn't accept another person, or even attempt to understand them, isn't love at all. This underlying idea gives the narrative an edgy trajectory, resisting the expected platitudes to dig much deeper into the themes, these people, their aspirations and connections. And in the end, it's a vivid reminder of RuPaul's drag mantra: "If you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else? Can I get an amen?"

themes, language

15.Mar.21 flare