Documentaries, Shows, Films, Interviews, and Games.

Rhys Ernst, the trans director, tried to cram as many trans actors into this film as he could but, while I appreciate that effort, the diversity of the cast doesn’t compensate for the central premise. In short; a cis guy pretends to be a trans man in order to date a lesbian, to the extent that he uses a prosthetic dick and makes up a fake backstory for himself.

The whole time you’re watching this movie, you’re sitting there thinking, what the fuck? Why would anyone lie about that? It’s so baffling and gross that you’re not compelled to watch this trainwreck of a situation culminate in a breakup and inevitable backlash. The whole movie is painfully awkward. Leo Sheng's performance was great, though. Crap or not, I'm glad this movie propelled Sheng (a trans male actor) forward in his career. Plus, he's just... really hot.

One thing I really, really hated, was the use of slurs. Main characters cheerfully call a young trans man a “little faggot” behind his back, and a woman uses the slur “tranny” without checking that a trans man would be okay with that term. It was awful. If people I barely knew, and some that I hadn't even been introduced to, were calling me a faggot, I'd be extremely angry.

I sympathise with Ernst in that he did his best to make this more about trans people than cis people, especially considering how awful the source material (a book) originally was. He did his best to polish a turd, but the result was still a turd. I would love to see a film made by the same director, as he is evidently very good at seeking out trans talent and at filmmaking in general.

Before watching this film, you should prepare for heavy themes including violence against trans people.

In this short film, Brit Fryer (a trans man) reconnects with his ex (also a trans man) and creates an art project where they relive their earliest meetings and explore old conversations. It's a very unique and different approach to filmmaking, where the making of the documentary and the artistic process is part of the film itself. It's really fascinating and gorgeous to listen to these men telling stories of how their relationship ended, both having conflicting memories of certain events, hugging each other tightly in response to a rekindled emotional connection. It's so humanising and real. You can watch it here.

Elliot Page, a White American actor, has been extremely public about his transition and, following this, his character in The Umbrella Academy has transitioned as well. Page reportedly had a good experience on set and contributed to the transition plot. I did not enjoy The Umbrella Academy in earlier episodes, so I won't be watching it, but the trans aspect of the show appears to be solid.

I feel obligated to mention the reasons I stopped watching the show originally. Not only did a main character (Allison) abuse a man by using mind control to make him love her, it was heavily implied that she had sex with him while he was in this altered state, leading to her becoming pregnant. He was portrayed as the 'bad guy' for holding her accountable, and for protecting himself and their daughter, which I found disgusting. In season 3, Allison escalates to attempting to rape her adopted brother. My personal opinion is that Page's character is not worth the repeated mishandling of sexual abuse storylines. Showrunners have defended Allison's characterisation, saying she ought to be sympathised with because she's in pain. Not an excuse that tends to sell nowadays when male characters attempt to rape women, is it?

I'm not inconsistent in my judgement of such characters. The cultural obsession with Breaking Bad passed me by entirely. When I did try to watch it, years after it ended, I found myself unable to continue beyond the S02E01 scene where the protagonist tried to rape his wife, despite her pushing him off and telling him to stop. The broader (lacking) cultural conversation around consent, plus the popularity of the show, caused audiences to disregard the assault when the show originally aired. I see a similar thing happening with The Umbrella Academy. Much of society still doesn't want to believe that men can be raped or sexually coerced, especially cis men. So, the writers believe a man being sexually assaulted is okay. It's just a woman expressing her sadness and frustration, right? Just like Walter White did in Breaking Bad.

I'll say this... I really doubt the writers would've dared to make Elliot Page's character the target of Allison's unwanted sexual advances, and still asked audiences to sympathise with the predator. And it was always clear to me that, yes, that is precisely what Allison is. She is a predator. That was obvious when she used mind control to trap a man in a sexual relationship. Tellingly, her attempt to rape her brother involves using that same mind control to force him into intimacy. She is a predator with a history of abusing people in that particular way.

Between that and the show's writing, which I did not find compelling at all, not one single part of me wishes to watch purely for Page's character.

Everyone who visits this website is able, and encouraged, to make up their own mind about the content that I review. You do not have to agree with me!

Theo Germaine (a White American trans actor) plays James, a trans guy who uses he/him/his pronouns but whose gender is not a plot point. According to this article, Germaine has said, "He’s just a high school boy who gets to live his life, and the story is about trying to get his friend to win the election." So, it sounds like casual trans representation without any of the drama, which could be very refreshing, although I've not watched it yet.

Despite the poor production quality, these are some worthy and insightful interviews with three Black American trans men. However, one of the interviewees (Chevy) makes some very questionable comments which warrant deeper discussion.

The positive things, first...

I really liked Chevy’s response when asked if he identified as a man or as a trans man. He said, if he had to choose between society’s labels for him, he would just choose man. I feel the same way, so I enjoyed this comment. Gino had the same response and also added, “I don’t think anything can singlehandedly define a man. Or masculinity. We are what we know we are. We are what we speak.” I really loved that. I would say that Gino's interviews were my favourite, including a beautiful, considered response to a question about God and whether transitioning is right or wrong.

I appreciated Jaye’s discussion about how his needs changed as he transitioned, and the consequences of being outed. When he was still being received in society as a Stud, he needed his girlfriend to tell her family that he was actually a trans man, but once he was passing as a man, he needed girlfriends to respect his privacy and not out him.

Now, the negative stuff...

Chevy, after asserting that his journey had been made harder by "fad" trans men who were only transitioning because it "looks good", revealed to the interviewers that he binds with duct tape. This, he said, makes him a real trans man, compared to men who don't go to such unsafe lengths. He even said that men who use binders or elastic bandages aren't as "real" as he is. By the logic that he offers in this documentary, another of the interviewees isn’t a real trans man because he has an unbound chest beneath his clothes.

Any documentary that promotes duct tape chest binding, or even bandage binding, is dangerous. I worry about newly-exploring trans men, or even gender non-conforming women and non-binary people, who might be influenced by Chevy's comments. Binding unsafely, and potentially cracking your ribs, doesn't make you any more "real" than trans men who choose not to do that. I chose not to do that to mysef, pre-surgery, after being seriously harmed by that practice. I didn't become any less "real" by making that choice.

Chevy's experience is what it is. It is good that he had the opportunity to speak authentically about his journey. But this documentary presented duct tape chest binding with no warnings, no disclaimers, and certainly no concern for vulnerable viewers. And that warrants criticism.

You can learn about unsafe chest binding here. You can watch Girlz to MEN here.

I highly, highly recommend watching this film. With a runtime of less than 20 minutes, it has more worth and emotional weight than many feature documentaries. However, there are some serious trigger warnings to be aware of.

The documentary opens with Logan’s morning routine, which involves someone assisting him so that he can wear a binder. We are then shown footage of Logan as a child, pre-transition, while he explains that he was born with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy, meaning he's more comfortable and mobile in a wheelchair.

He goes on to talk about his gender journey, including realising that he wanted to transition at seventeen years of age. He chats with a hairdresser about being excited to start testosterone, smiling happily as he describes the positive experience of being called a young man.

We meet Logan's mother, who goes through childhood pictures with Logan and talks with him about his choice to medically transition. Though she has some concerns and worries about him using testosterone, she says that she supports him and trusts him to make the right choices. Logan describes how his relationship with his mother has become strained, due to his rejection of femininity and stereotypical mother-daughter bonding activities.

One of my favourite parts of this delightful, beautiful, amazing documentary is hearing Logan talk about bonding with his father, and listening to Logan's father talk about his son. Despite never meeting any other trans people prior to his son coming out, he completely supports him. He tears up, beginning to cry as he praises Logan's patience and guidance. Logan, sitting nearby, starts crying as well.

Logan discusses being physically and sexually abused by his teacher, when he was only fourteen years of age. He emphasises that he is not trans because of his trauma, and this is echoed by Logan's father, who says, "His coming out as trans is just one facet of who Logan is. Logan is a visible minority, he is a person with a physical disability, he is a person with learning disabilities, he is a survivor."

I am so thankful that Logan shared his story, and that cis filmmaker Navid Mashayekhi made this short documentary possible. You can watch Unbecoming here.

This is a coming-of-age body horror short film starring Rhys Fehrenbacher (a White American trans actor) as a trans teenager who struggles with bullying and gender dysphoria. It was a pleasure to see Fehrenbacher onscreen, as the first time I saw him in a film was the movie They (2017), which sacrificed good acting for a poor script and bad directing, although it certainly looked very pretty. Skin was much more interesting, and really allowed Fehrenbacher to take up space.

Before watching this, you ought to be aware that Skin includes gore/blood, dead animals, transphobia from antagonistic characters, and sexual harassment from the trans student's fellow pupils. I really liked a conversation between the trans protagonist and their mother, which was gentle and loving. The protagonist's gender and pronouns are never stated outright, so this could easily be a short film about a trans boy or a non-binary youth.

You can watch Skin here.

This show is incredibly sweet and authentic, right down to the casting of main and side characters. A 45 year-old, self-identified "fat, queer dyke" (who also identifies as "not a lesbian") falls in love with a 22 year-old trans man after meeting him at the restaurant where he works. Chris, the trans man, is played by Theo Germaine, a White American trans actor.

The series tackles issues including family conflict, suicide, death, STI stigma, bathroom safety, OCD, and dysphoria, but it's not depressing to watch (for me, anyway). It's one of the most unique shows I've ever seen, and it's very funny! I would not trust many shows or films to portray a romance between a "dyke" and a trans man, without delegitimising and invalidating the manhood of the trans guy involved. As it is, Work in Progress is very respectful and emphasises that Chris is happy to enter into the relationship. Abby sees Chris as a man, and refers to him as such. I really enjoyed Abby and Chris's discussions about sexual preferences and dysphoria.

This documentary is very beautiful and is wonderfully filmed, if a little slow-paced for my taste. It is a unique and very special look into the journey of a White British trans man who chose to carry his own child. I would personally recommend From Daddy's Tummy over Seahorse, but it's still an important and touching production! I reckon I'll give it a rewatch so that I can provide a longer review, at some point. You can watch it here.

I definitely wouldn't recommend watching this movie. It's insufferable. Every single character is a stereotype. There's a young Asian woman with blue streaks dyed through her hair (a film trope that has been widely criticised), a trans man who binds with bandages (learn more about that here), a violent jock, a superficial young blonde woman, and a young man with a psychiatric disorder whose mutterings and overdramatic outbursts only crop up when convenient for the plot. OCD is handled similarly.

Within six minutes, the trans man (Kai) is misgendered and then deadnamed. He's later shown wearing bandages to bind his chest, which made me furious. Any goodwill that this film earned for casting a trans man (Tyler DiChiara) in a trans male role utterly disappeared with the portrayal of such a dangerous act. Filmmakers easily could've shown him wearing a chest binder. Kai is supposed to be pre-everything, which (I imagine) is the justification for having him use bandages, but that doesn't make sense when the actor playing him is very clearly on testosterone.

Kai is cornered by two cis men, who are intent on raping him after clocking him as trans. The sexual harassment and assaulting of trans men is an under-discussed issue in modern trans advocacy, so I suppose I'd have been happy if this film tackled it. But it didn't really tackle it at all, not in a meaningful way. Later, when another character discusses being raped by the head of a psychiatric institution, her trauma is glossed over in a similarly poor way.

Relish really isn't worth your time. In terms of general warnings, the film includes drug and alcohol use, self harm scars, sexual harassment, and painkiller withdrawal. Hardly any good qualities exist to compensate for scenes that might be upsetting.

If you want to see DiChiara in a better, more watchable context, I recommend the superhero series Gotham Knights. It's cheesy as fuck, but quite fun, and DiChiara plays a trans male sidekick!

You can read my full review here. This show primarily focusses on relationships, specifically conflict and budding romances between couples. It's a very realistic take on being LGBT+ in that it doesn't ignore the reality that such couples fight, break up, and even cheat on each other. The cast is hugely diverse, with trans actors playing trans characters, and people of colour in both main and supporting roles. Garcia, a trans actor of colour, plays a trans man named Jake Rodriguez. This show is a recommended watch, but there are several warnings to be aware of.

This one is sweet, genuine, and lovely. Krow Kian, a White Canadian male model, documents his journey and his modelling career pre-transition and post-transition. His friends are also interviewed, and they share their own stories. Suicide, self-harm, dysphoria, and other struggles are addressed, but through the lens of a happy ending. Interviewed family members are supportive, and viewers get to see progress beyond early-transition turbulence. I'd definitely recommend this documentary to early-transition men, and to their families. Many steps are shown; coming out, starting testosterone, having a mastectomy, having a uterectomy, getting married, etc.

I really liked an interview Krow's mother gave, referencing an emotional moment that she had while her son was having surgery. She says, "I sat down, poured myself a drink, and said goodbye to my daughter. Then I poured myself another drink, and said hello to my son." I liked that the mother's grief didn't affect her support for Krow, and that she outwardly advocated for him and supported his decisions, while also nursing her own complex feelings.

The concept of grieving your child while they're still alive is a tricky one, because it's so often used as a weapon against trans people, to prevent us from transitioning and make us feel guilty for identities we can't control. That isn't what happens in this documentary. What Krow's mother shows, in a moment of profound maturity, is that it's possible to support and love your child while also commemorating who they used to be. She shows that a sense of loss doesn't mean you've actually lost your child, and you can still be there for them. I liked that this film made space for that nuance, all the while showing Krow being loved, supported, and defended by his mother.

You can watch Krow's TRANSformation here.

You can read my full review here. This is a beautiful film, if a little overdramatic. My main complaint is that the directors prioritised deaf representation and considered a deaf actor very important in a deaf role, but they did not consider a trans actor to be as important in a trans role. I was disappointed to see a trans man portrayed by yet another actress (Yiana Pandelis), especially considering the filmmaker’s claims of diverse casting... in 2020.

The FTM character (Finn) is deadnamed twice and misgendered once, but the film overall is not cruel or exploitative. There is a bittersweet ending.

WARNING: There is unsafe chest binding in this movie. Learn more about unsafe binding here.

A gay trans man played by a White trans actor (Pete MacHale) has fun with his boyfriend, and they discuss his gender presentation. This short film has a happy ending, and it’s very sweet and light-hearted. I only wish it was the length of a feature film. The trans man has the goal of embracing flamboyant clothing and painted nails, now that his gender dysphoria has been alleviated by top surgery and testosterone. It is apparent in the film that he is versatile; sex is discussed, and viewers see his penile prosthetic.

In this interview, Jamie Wildman discusses figuring out gender later in life, saying, "I identify as non-binary, lesbian... It's, um... I'm working on it." Jamie talks about having "transgender tendencies" at a young age, and praying at night for a male body. When it comes to pronouns, Jamie says, "I've settled on Jamie. Just call me by my name". Jamie recalls the Stonewall Uprising, coming out as lesbian, and the importance of self-acceptance and affirmation. "I learned that I was non-binary before [coming out as non-binary], but I just didn't have the definition," Jamie explains, "I still don't feel that I fit in any category. I don't think there's a time limit. There's no time limit for coming out". 

A very sweet and important short interview! Frustratingly, PinkNews (the organisation which posted this interview), does not refer to Jamie in the requested way, using pronouns where Jamie has instead expressed a desire to be addressed purely by name.