Plainclothes Trailer: Highly Praised Queer Thriller Releases This September

      Making its debut earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for its ensemble cast, Carmen Emmi’s directorial debut, Plainclothes, stars Tom Blyth and Russell Tovey. The film tells the story of an undercover officer in 1990s Syracuse who entices and arrests gay men but ultimately falls for one of his targets. Magnolia Pictures has acquired the film for release on September 19, and they have just released the first trailer.

      The synopsis reads: “Set in 1990s Syracuse and featuring standout performances from Tom Blyth (HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES) and Russell Tovey (LOOKING), this Sundance award-winning thriller by director Carmen Emmi follows a promising undercover officer (Blyth) tasked with luring and arresting gay men who rebels against orders when he falls in love with a target (Tovey). During his mother's New Year’s Eve party, Lucas, a young police officer, misplaces a letter intended to remain private. Amid the stifling atmosphere of the family gathering, the quest for the letter unveils a past Lucas has tried to escape: months before, while on undercover assignment in a mall bathroom, he arrested men by seducing them. However, everything shifts when he meets Andrew. What initially appears to be another setup evolves into something far more electric and intimate. As their clandestine connection grows and police demands for arrests mount, Lucas faces a conflict between his duty and his feelings. With time running out and his history closing in on him, PLAINCLOTHES builds toward a climactic New Year’s Eve reckoning where all he has buried is at risk of surfacing.”

      In his Sundance review, John Fink stated, “Plainclothes offers a darker perspective on coming out; it introduces some familiar plot twists but ultimately shines through its strong performances and unique approach to the subject. The final act effectively heightens the tension, merging the two timelines around well-known family dynamics. It’s worth noting that 1997 was a very different era, marked by misconceptions and HIV/AIDS public service announcements. The film reflects the kind of fears that may have persisted in the years following Tom Hanks' Oscar win in Jonathan Demme’s groundbreaking but flawed Philadelphia. In the realm of coming-out films, Plainclothes, akin to Cruising, addresses the revelation with contemporary empathy intertwined with period anxieties, reminiscent of a time before warm-hearted rom-coms like Love, Simon.”

      Watch the trailer below.