Out

Why I took it off the list:

I wanted to see at least one film at Fire – Barcelona’s LGTBQ+ Film Festival and Out sounded the most appealing, so I decided to check it out.

So, let’s dig in!

Review of Out (2024)

Out starts with a heartwarming coming-out scene, as Ajani (Jefferson Yaw Frempong-Manson) confesses his same-sex attraction to his parents. But the action is largely off-screen, as we remain fixed on the reactions of Tom (Bas Keizer), Ajani’s lover, whose silence speaks volumes. Instead of offering up a similar confession, Tom heads out to smoke.

In the next scenes, it’s clear that Tom and Ajani are budding film-makers, as they go about putting a picture together that they screen at a local bar. But the premiere doesn’t go as planned, as there is minimal turnout, and Tom gets into an altercation with a bar patron who makes a homophobic remark.

Later, after making love, Ajani urges Tom to come out of the closet, but he insists he is bi and has nothing to declare to the world. Soon after, their frustrated small-town existence is upended when Tom receives a phone call informing him they’ve been accepted into film school in Amsterdam.

Ecstatic, the 2 head out to the big city together and throw themselves into city life. However, Tom doesn’t seem to gel well with his film school classmates and Ajani seems more open to indulging in the city’s gay nightlife than the timid Tom.

Slight Narrative but Gorgeously Shot

As Ajani gets deeper into the city’s gay scene, Tom tries desperately to keep the relationship together, but it soon becomes apparent that they are being pulled in different directions. His attempts to stay close to Ajani eventually leads to a harrowing experience at a gay sex club where Tom finds himself out of his depth and forced to concede that Ajani is slipping beyond his reach.

Out‘s narrative is somewhat slight, with the majority of the film bulked out with talky scenes between the 2 lovers and the group of friends they form in Amsterdam’s gay community. Much of the dialogue is frank and explicit, painting a vibrant picture of the scene.

One of the biggest strengths that Out has going for it is its luscious black and white cinematography. It transforms scenes as diverse as explicit lovemaking, a lover’s stroll through a park, and throbbing club scenes into visual works of art.

The performances are also strong, particularly the incredibly expressive Keizer as Tom, a sympathetic, vulnerable lead. The rest of the acting feels lived-in and naturalistic, especially Yaw Frempong-Manson as a character who’s not always likeable but consistently feels believable.

Final Score: 6.5/10

Out (2024): Worth Watching?

Yes, if only for its gorgeous black and white cinematography, but Out also proves to be an insightful look into gay youth culture and the ways in which the paths of the young can stray.