The reviews are in for Plainclothes following its premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
Set in 1990s New York City, the upcoming romantic drama stars Tom Blyth (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) as Lucas, a working-class undercover officer who is tasked with entrapping and apprehending gay men, only to find himself attracted to one of his targets, Andrew (Looking alum Russell Tovey).
Also starring Amy Forsyth, Christian Cooke, Maria Dizzia, John Bedford Lloyd, Gabe Fazio and Sam Asa Brownstein, Plainclothes marks the feature-length directorial debut of Carmen Emmi, who also penned the screenplay.
As of writing, a worldwide release date has yet to be announced, and only a handful of images, along with an exclusive short clip from IndieWire, have been released. However, several publications that attended Sundance have since published their reviews, with the general consensus being highly positive.
Although Deadline opined that Plainclothes “takes a little while to find its feet”, they praised the “smoldering chemistry” between Tovey and Blyth, as well as the latter’s depiction of a “young man wrestling with his identity”.
“Plainclothes, though, is not strictly a coming-out movie, it’s a relatable story about infatuation and heartbreak, most of it communicated with painfully raw emotion by these star-crossed lovers’ eyes,” they wrote.
ScreenRant also lauded Blyth’s “incredible” performance, saying he portrays Lucas as a “ball of anxious energy who’s always paranoid and thinking about what would happen if his mom, or anyone else for that matter, found out he was gay”.
“It’s heartbreaking and stressful to watch as he comes apart, growing more and more anxious and conflicted by the minute,” they said.
“Blyth is a nuanced performer who conveys so much with his eyes and body language. His eyes are constantly flicking back and forth, watching others with sharp, suspicious eyes. This trait changes as Lucas grows erratic and he can no longer trust what he sees.”
Additionally, ScreenRant highlighted the “intensity” of the subject matter and performances, likening Plainclothes to “holding my breath the entire time, only able to exhale in the final scene”. The writer went on to call it “one of the best thrillers I’ve seen recently”, citing themes of “consequences, choices, love, identity and paranoia”.
Tovey’s performance was acclaimed by ThePlaylist, who wrote the following: “Tovey is perhaps the most unfiltered and raw we ever remember seeing him on screen. It’s a quick moment, but it’s a “wow” one.”
As for Variety, the publication labelled Emmi’s “ultra-subjective multimedia approach” as “impressive”, but took issue with the “mix of formats and timelines” and noted “a few major plot holes”. Despite this, they commended the “intense and ultimately cathartic climax”.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Emmi discussed the lack of “full frontal” and “no gratuitous nudity” in the sex scenes. (Spoilers ahead.)
“I don’t know, there’s something more sexy about holding back in some ways. The landmark scene in the film when Andrew asks Lucas, “Can I touch you?” That, to me, feels even more sensual than the car scene [when they’re having sex],” he explained.
‘The actors were really down for anything but I am never going to be the kind of guy that’s like, “Now we’re going to do this,” in terms of the nudity. I wanted everyone to feel safe. You have to feel safe. We’re making a movie. It’s not like surgery.”
Emmi said he sent a “very detailed spreadsheet” of the sex scenes to Blyth and Tovey’s teams, which they approved.
“A lot of it was character-based. Would Lucas be naked here? Would he feel comfortable to take off his pants in a locker room? Tom and I didn’t think so. We were lucky to work with an intimacy coordinator named Joey Massa, who helped me choreograph those scenes and helped everyone feel comfortable.”
While we await a worldwide release date for Plainclothes, check out an exclusive clip from IndieWire featuring Lucas and Andrew’s intimate encounter in a bathroom stall.
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