Layla film review and star rating: ★★★★
Independent film Layla begins with a Pride event that will look familiar to all those sceptical of Rainbow Capitalism.
Bilal Hasna plays the title character, a British-Palestinian non-binary drag queen who lands a gig performing for a delivery app company. When a high paying show turns out to be a humiliating farce, Layla rebels against the corporation behind the job, and manages to catch the eye of advertising executive Max (Louis Greatorex).
The pair fall in love, and the romance forces both to question their identities. The film feels like a modern tale of queerness. Starting as a satire on corporate culture and how companies performatively embrace the LGBTQ+ community, it evolves into a story of the struggle to find someone who loves you for who you really are.
Read more: Unicorns film review: Ben Hardy in era-defining LGBTQ romance
Layla’s religious background is investigated, as is the confusion of how it feels to not understand whether a partner’s love is genuine. Both lovers work through a minefield of identity crises in a journey that is sensitively told and always engaging.
In addition to character studies, director Amrou Al-Kadhi explores the messiness of one-night stands and the glory of the queer community.
Hasna takes the lead with heart and daring. In amongst the love-story, they rail against the closing of another queer London nightspot. Away from the lights and sequins, however, the performance is filled with vulnerability as they grapple with the question of whether it’s better to be partially cared for than not at all.
In a year filled with interesting LGBTQ+ stories, Layla’s occasionally forced metaphors may mean it struggles to cut through. However, it’s a bold London-based story that looks at the way we love right now, in a manner that will be relatable no matter your pronouns.
Read more: Gladiator II: 2024 sequel is bigger and bloodier, but Paul Mescal isn’t the best bit