Unicorns movie storyline. Hard-working single father Luke (Ben Hardy) has grown accustomed to settling for transactional sex in his fleeting parcels of spare time. But when he stumbles across an underground nightclub, he meets Aysha (Jason Patel), a beautiful, seductive woman. Their first kiss yields fireworks — which are immediately followed by Luke’s sobering realization that Aysha is not the cisgender woman he thought, but a remarkably femme drag queen. Embarrassed, Luke departs.
Sensing a connection that might transcend sexual preference, Aysha tracks Luke down and offers him a night job driving her to performance venues. Needing the additional income, Luke tentatively accepts this offer of work and is introduced to London’s thriving underground “gaysian” scene. Spending more time together and navigating the challenges in their respective domestic lives that go beyond the paradigms of gender and intimacy, they face the question of whether or not there is a love that can exist beyond traditional labels.
Unicorns stars Ben Hardy and Jason Patel as two people with a undeniable connection despite their very different lives. An alluring fusion of forbidden romance and colliding cultures, Unicorns stars Ben Hardy and newcomer Jason Patel as two people who might become lovers, if only they can build a bridge between their very different worlds.
Co-directed by Sally El Hosaini — who made a splash at last year’s Festival with Opening Night Film The Swimmers — and filmmaker-actor James Krishna Floyd, Unicorns alternates between the thrill of raw desire, the gravity of familial responsibility, and the transformative power of being seen for who you really are.
Unicorns is a drama film directed by Sally El Hosaini and James Krishna Floyd and released in 2023. The film stars Ben Hardy as Luke, a single father and mechanic who is forced to rethink his sexual identity when he unexpectedly falls in love with Aysha (Jason Patel), a drag queen.
A coproduction of companies from the United Kingdom, the United States and Sweden, the film was written by Floyd, and marks his directorial debut. The film premiered in the Special Presentations program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.
Unicorns (2024)
Directed by: Sally El Hosaini, James Krishna Floyd
Starring: Ben Hardy, Jason Patel, Hannah Onslow, Nisha Nayar, Michael Karim, Sagar Radia, Ravin J Ganatra, Ali Afzal, Val The Brown Queen, Jaimie Tank, Anthony Pius, Saba Shiraz
Screenplay by: James Krishna Floyd
Production Design by: Robert Wischhusen-Hayes
Cinematography by: David Raedeker
Film Editing by: Iain Kitching
Costume Design by: Nirage Mirage
Set Decoration by: Prue Howard
Art Direction by: Chris Evans-Wilson
Music by: Stuart Earl
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Signature Entertainment (United Kingdom)
Release Date: September 8, 2023 (TIFF), June 28, 2024 (United Kingdom), July 5, 2024 (United States)
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