Test

Director: Sam McConnell

Cast: Brock Yurich, Matthew Morrison, Tammy Blanchard, Mike Edward, Paloma Garcia-Lee

An amateur bodybuilder wrestles with his queerness while pursuing his dreams of becoming a champion

Eddie (Brock Yurich) dreams of becoming a bodybuilding champion and escaping rural Ohio. His gruelling training routine makes it easier to hide unspoken desires from a doting mother and girlfriend, but the pressures of an upcoming championship and the arrival of a charming coach bring his pretense to a startling halt. In a world where conversations around societal expectations on the body — both when it comes to performance and aesthetics — are everywhere, Sam McConnell offers a sharp insight into the dichotomy between a polished exterior and crumbling interior, all while sensitively observing the joys and challenges of realising one’s queerness in an environment hostile to difference. (RAFA SALES ROSS)