Why I took it off the list:

I read about this film on an end-year list of underrated 2024 indie films and decided to give it a watch.

So, let’s dig in!

Review of Sebastian (2024)

Sebastian follows Max (Ruaridh Mollica), a young Scotsman living in London and working for a literary magazine. However, his real ambition is to be a bona fide writer, and he’s already had a short story published in a prestigious collection.

However, he has his sights set on writing a novel, specifically about the experience of being a sex worker in the modern age.

But while his writing group and publisher think the experiences on the pages he turns in are the result of extensive research, Max’s secret is that he’s actually engaging in sex work to fuel the writing process.

The film follows Max’s progression from one-on-one encounters with older men to more risky behavior in order to fuel his publisher’s demand for novelty. However, Max forms a connection with one of his clients, Nicholas (Jonathan Hyde), that threatens to derail his writing ambitions.

Great Performances from Mollica & Hyde

Sebastian can be harrowing at times, as Max engages in more extreme encounters and pushes the boundaries of what he’s willing to do to produce a literary product.

However, it’s more often a tender and thoughtful portrait of the life of a sex worker and the unexpected connections that can form, exemplified by the rather touching encounters between Max and Nicholas.

As Max, Mollica gives a sensitive performance that’s full of vulnerability as he navigates a somewhat treacherous double life, conveying both his determination and grit, and fear and uncertainty.

However, despite the fact that Mollica is in almost every frame, he almost has the whole film stolen from under him by Hyde’s towering supporting turn. As a lonely and bookish old man who’s a stranger to intimacy but who gradually opens up to the possibility of connection, Hyde is heartbreaking and gives an awards-worthy performance.

Final score: 8/10

Sebastian (2024): Worth Watching?

Yes, Sebastian is an at-times harrowing drama that spins a fascinating story of a dangerous dual life and is always engaging thanks to lead actor Ruaridh Mollica and a scene-stealing supporting turn from Jonathan Hyde.