Blue Film is a heavy movie and not for the faint of heart. It centres on a young man, Aaron (Kieron Moore, Masters of The Air, Code of Silence), who is working as a camboy in Los Angeles. However, his most recent client, Hank (Reed Birney, The Menu, House of Cards), is not interested in anything physical, but simply wants to talk to Aaron, who he claims to love.
What follows is an emotional rollercoaster, as both men share their pasts and the shocking way their lives intersected before they came to L.A. The story is limited to the apartment which Hank has hired, and the film only has two actors. Yet, it is more compelling than other movies which boast sprawling casts and locations. The dialogue is incredibly strong and each actor sells their performance admirably. This combination carries the picture, but I would not want to downplay its visual components. The cinematography and lighting create an intimate tone, perfectly suiting the subject matter.
It should be said that the film deals with heavy topics, much of which are never seen but only talked about. The relationship between the characters constantly shifts and watching them react to their changing dynamic is greatly captivating. There are moments of levity, but these are still tinged with the context of new information that arrived in the previous scene. It is a difficult film to talk about without spoiling it. So, I will cut this review slightly shorter than normal; I would highly recommend it for those with a strong stomach when it comes to film content.
The 78th Edinburgh International Film Festival ran from the 14th to the 20th August 2025. Blue Film screened as part of the Competition Features strand.
Press imagesprovided by EIFF 2025 for press use.