Sebastian (2024)
Screening as part of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, Mikko Mäkelä's sophomore feature film, Sebastian, follows a young aspiring writer named Max (Ruaridh Mollica) who is trying to find his place as a queer writer living in London. While his career is steadily growing, Max finds new momentum as he starts experimenting with being paid for sex writing about his experiences in what takes shape to be his debut novel. Max continues to find more and more power in these sexual encounters which begin to threaten to take over his life and focus. Max tries to find a balance between these two lives but begins to question what truly brings him fulfillment as he analyzes his experiences and tries to find his way.
Rather stunning in emotional vulnerability and as a showcase of the power of intimacy, Mäkelä crafts a beautiful viewing experience within Sebastian that speaks authentically and openly regarding the complexities of queer artists. Max's work is undeniably tied to his unique perspective and lived language as a queer individual. In his job as a writer, assignments often are delegated to him based on this identity while his fictionalized work also leans towards this angle. Max creates a professional and artistic identity designed by what he can deliver in regards to this identity that while empowering, can also feel limiting and tiring. While there is an undeniable power and investment within queer artists expressing and sharing their thoughts on queer stories and developments, sometimes it can feel almost performative and reductive to the abilities and layers of the artist to consistently be put into this role, a prime example of a rich expression that can only be achieved by authentic voices being behind the design and execution of this story and one that rings as incredibly authentic to many queer artists who will be watching and digesting the feature.
This foundation is one of the many factors that leads Max to sex work. A raw expression that allows Max to shed the stresses and roles put on him by everyday life, Max finds an indescribable freedom and power in his sex work that speaks to the film's larger thesis surrounding the action and challenging some of the popular representations of the topic in culture. Max does not need the money he is making from sex work nor is he working through unresolved trauma, two incredibly popular bases for the action in most representations of the act. Rather, Max finds a different sense of momentum and ability from his choice to engage with these clients in these spaces that blend well with Max's longing for direction as an artist. These two sides of Max's lived experience come together nicely to paint a complex and worthy portrait of the young man with deeper roots in the lived experiences of many young queer artists in the current moment, giving the film relevance and poignance.
Not only is this success a clear sign of the talents of Mikko Mäkelä as both a writer and a director, but also of the on-screen talent. Ruaridh Mollica's emotionally raw and personable display is layered and mature, finding authentic expressions of his ups and downs in what immediately is a contender for one of the year's best performances. Also powerful is Jonathan Price's supporting performance as one of the men Max meets and has sex with. As Max is going through his narrative, the film gives special attention to those on the sidelines of Max's turbulent journey who are trying to solve their issues and who have their own unique stakes involved. Price's performance is passionate and especially towards the end of the film, his commanding power is brought to life to memorable results as he finds out Max has been writing about the sacred time they have shared.
This brings the film to its deepest questions, one about authenticity. From Max's writing to the moments shared during his sexual encounters, spaces quite literally created via transaction, there are often implicit questions surrounding what is real and what is not. There is often an idea that authenticity is directly tied to a moment or thought having more power than others. Still, as these lines blur within the narrative the film pokes this concept and pushes for a deeper conclusion. What are the dangers of altering authentic moments into ideas of fiction? What are the morals of taking reality and using them in art without explicit consent? While the film might not find anything overly groundbreaking as an answer to these conversations and others like them, it does present itself meaningfully and gives the audience enough to engage with as a backbone to the film's overall voice.
One of the many reasons that the Sundance Film Festival is so beautiful is because of its platform for unique young diverse voices which often get overlooked or pushed to the side of other major festivals. This creates catalogs that are dense with special projects and cinematic thoughts, often some of the best of the year. Sebastian falls into this category as a true gem of the 2024 festival. The film is beautifully honest and complex with Mikko Mäkelä continuing to prove his place as one of the most exciting up-and-coming voices in modern cinema.
Rather stunning in emotional vulnerability and as a showcase of the power of intimacy, Mäkelä crafts a beautiful viewing experience within Sebastian that speaks authentically and openly regarding the complexities of queer artists. Max's work is undeniably tied to his unique perspective and lived language as a queer individual. In his job as a writer, assignments often are delegated to him based on this identity while his fictionalized work also leans towards this angle. Max creates a professional and artistic identity designed by what he can deliver in regards to this identity that while empowering, can also feel limiting and tiring. While there is an undeniable power and investment within queer artists expressing and sharing their thoughts on queer stories and developments, sometimes it can feel almost performative and reductive to the abilities and layers of the artist to consistently be put into this role, a prime example of a rich expression that can only be achieved by authentic voices being behind the design and execution of this story and one that rings as incredibly authentic to many queer artists who will be watching and digesting the feature.
This foundation is one of the many factors that leads Max to sex work. A raw expression that allows Max to shed the stresses and roles put on him by everyday life, Max finds an indescribable freedom and power in his sex work that speaks to the film's larger thesis surrounding the action and challenging some of the popular representations of the topic in culture. Max does not need the money he is making from sex work nor is he working through unresolved trauma, two incredibly popular bases for the action in most representations of the act. Rather, Max finds a different sense of momentum and ability from his choice to engage with these clients in these spaces that blend well with Max's longing for direction as an artist. These two sides of Max's lived experience come together nicely to paint a complex and worthy portrait of the young man with deeper roots in the lived experiences of many young queer artists in the current moment, giving the film relevance and poignance.
Not only is this success a clear sign of the talents of Mikko Mäkelä as both a writer and a director, but also of the on-screen talent. Ruaridh Mollica's emotionally raw and personable display is layered and mature, finding authentic expressions of his ups and downs in what immediately is a contender for one of the year's best performances. Also powerful is Jonathan Price's supporting performance as one of the men Max meets and has sex with. As Max is going through his narrative, the film gives special attention to those on the sidelines of Max's turbulent journey who are trying to solve their issues and who have their own unique stakes involved. Price's performance is passionate and especially towards the end of the film, his commanding power is brought to life to memorable results as he finds out Max has been writing about the sacred time they have shared.
This brings the film to its deepest questions, one about authenticity. From Max's writing to the moments shared during his sexual encounters, spaces quite literally created via transaction, there are often implicit questions surrounding what is real and what is not. There is often an idea that authenticity is directly tied to a moment or thought having more power than others. Still, as these lines blur within the narrative the film pokes this concept and pushes for a deeper conclusion. What are the dangers of altering authentic moments into ideas of fiction? What are the morals of taking reality and using them in art without explicit consent? While the film might not find anything overly groundbreaking as an answer to these conversations and others like them, it does present itself meaningfully and gives the audience enough to engage with as a backbone to the film's overall voice.
One of the many reasons that the Sundance Film Festival is so beautiful is because of its platform for unique young diverse voices which often get overlooked or pushed to the side of other major festivals. This creates catalogs that are dense with special projects and cinematic thoughts, often some of the best of the year. Sebastian falls into this category as a true gem of the 2024 festival. The film is beautifully honest and complex with Mikko Mäkelä continuing to prove his place as one of the most exciting up-and-coming voices in modern cinema.