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Sundance-Winning Plainclothes Opens in Theaters

Carmen Emmi’s debut probes police entrapment through a jittery mixed-media lens of queer identity.

Overview

  • The film begins its U.S. theatrical rollout today, opening in New York City with additional cities to follow.
  • Tom Blyth plays a closeted undercover officer whose encounters with Russell Tovey’s character drive the story’s tension without revealing key turns.
  • Set in the late 1990s, the drama incorporates VHS textures, Academy ratio framing, and a non-linear structure to evoke paranoia and secrecy.
  • Critics highlight raw performances and an unflinching tone, building on its Sundance Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast.
  • A new review notes the propulsive montage style can feel overwhelming at times but praises Blyth’s grounded, soul-baring lead performance.