‘Plainclothes’ review: Undercover and under pressure | Sundance 2025

Directed by Carmen Emmi, Plainclothes hides its heart on its sleeve, following a closeted undercover cop undercover in the 90s.

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There’s a unique kind of suffocation that comes with hiding in plain sight—a tension that Plainclothes captures with unnerving precision. From the moment Lucas (Tom Blyth), a closeted undercover cop, steps into Syracuse’s tightly-knit gay community in the mid-90s, every glance, every word, every touch feels fraught with the threat of exposure. Director Carmen Emmi wraps the film in an atmosphere so thick with anxiety it’s almost unbearable. That anxiety is amplified by grainy visuals, evoking both the era’s aesthetic and the unpolished reality of Lucas’s double life. It’s a story as much about what’s left unsaid as it is about the moments that threaten to reveal everything.

Set against a period marked by societal constraints and the looming shadow of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” era, the film follows Lucas on a heartless mission: to entrap and arrest gay men. It’s a task that becomes increasingly fraught as he grapples with his own concealed desires. The film frequently cuts to period-accurate depictions of characters recorded on VHS. It’s a haunting reminder that while this story roots itself in the past, its takeaways reverberate in the present.

Blyth carries this film on his broad shoulders. In a nuanced portrayal Blyth captures Lucas’s internal conflict, conveying both vulnerability and resolve. His interactions with Andrew (Russell Tovey), a target who becomes much more, are charged with a palpable tension. Tovey’s portrayal of Andrew adds depth to the narrative. He presents a character who is both a potential threat to Lucas’s mission and a mirror reflecting his suppressed truths. Deliberate pacing allows for a slow unraveling of Lucas’s facade, each scene threatening to reveal the real man behind the badge.

Emmi’s direction is both sensitive and unflinching. He presents a narrative (in which he also wrote) that is as much about personal discovery as it is about societal condemnation. The film’s portrayal of the gay community is handled with care, offering a glimpse into the complexities and nuances of identity and acceptance when you must push down who you really are.

And it’s in these moments of visualized anxiety and panic attacks where Plainclothes reaches beyond its obvious influences. Expressed through harsh cuts, incoherent whips of camera footage, and other editing/lighting tricks, this is a take on internalized trauma that might hit a little too close to home. So much so that the film could easily be overwhelming for some of its intended audience.

While Plainclothes is a work of fiction, it resonates with the authenticity of real-life struggles faced by far too many gay men during the 1990s and also before and after, etc. The film’s exploration of internalized homophobia, societal expectations, and the quest for self-acceptance has no solidified era. Its an unflinching portrayal of a man at war with himself. The story offers a poignant reminder of the personal costs of living a lie. In particular, one that could so easily consume and destroy someone’s entire world.

Plainclothes is a compelling, albeit challenging addition to the canon of LGBTQ+ cinema, offering a multifaceted exploration of identity and desire. Its atmospheric tension, combined with standout performances and thoughtful direction, make it a film that is quite hard to look away from.

Plainclothes had its world premiere at the Sundance 2025 Film Festival. Find more of our Sundance 2025 coverage here.