Siobhan McCarthy’s She’s the He lobs an amusing hand grenade at trans representation, gender dynamics, and teen comedy cliches.
Ethan (Misha Osherovich) and Alex (Nico Carney) are lifelong best friends who couldn’t be more different. Ethan is wildly insecure, about to finish high school but still having no identity. Alex is not nearly insecure enough, constantly hatching harebrained schemes and hitting on Ethan’s mom (Suzanne Cryer). Alex’s latest mission is to hook up with his crush Sasha (Malia Pyles) before graduation, which means drastic measures to dispel the widespread misconception that Ethan and Alex are a gay couple.
Alex’s bright idea is for the duo to pretend they’re trans, and he effectively “outs” the both of them before Ethan can stop him. Sasha and her friends quickly clock that Alex is being at least somewhat dishonest, but they wholeheartedly welcome Ethan into womanhood. For Ethan, this is an opportunity to finally come to terms with the trans identity she’s been hiding from. For Alex, it’s being forced to reckon with the liability he’s become to those around him as the meatheaded Jacob (Emmett Preciado) and his army of misogynistic jocks pretend to be trans in order to invade the girls locker room.
A fresh take.
Writer/director/editor Siobhan McCarthy clearly has grievances with how trans people are portrayed in media (fair point). She’s the He feels like a laser-guided missile aimed at teen comedies that mistreat trans characters or exclude them entirely. Considering the unapologetic crassness of the humor and the fact that the premise and title could just as easily have ended up in hateful Lady Ballers-esque garbage, it’s remarkable how thoughtful She’s the He is in its portrayal of trans issues. There’s enough diversity in the cast that characters can be complex and flawed without fear of being stereotypical, and transphobia among queer folk and purported allies is addressed just as readily as transphobia among the openly bigoted.
Photo Credit: Obscured Releasing
Especially interesting is how the film handles its cis male characters. The thought of cisgendered men pretending to be trans in order to abuse women has been a subject of transphobic fearmongering for years. Most pro-trans cinema is going to want to avoid that, or at least soften it with some sort of metatextual disclaimer or commentary. Instead, She’s the He leans into it hard but has trans men playing the majority of the cis male characters. Trans actors playing explicitly cisgendered characters is not unheard of but it’s extremely rare, and by doing that here McCarthy allows the story to move forward unfanged while still functionally stripping transphobes of the opportunity to use the film as ammunition.
Best friends in a busy script.
The center of the film is not politics but the relationship between Ethan and Alex. Osherovich and Carney’s chemistry is fantastic in this regard, selling both the longevity of their relationship and the nagging strain that might finally end it. Cryer plays well off of both, which allows the scenes where all three are present to really shine. Osherovich and Ringsby are similarly excellent together.
The film’s script does get pretty messy. There’s some pretty big leaps in logic required to get the film out of the first act, many of which could have been resolved quite easily. Plus the entire Alex/Sasha storyline is so confusing and oddly paced one has to wonder why it was included at all. The jokes still land and the raucous climax is truly outstanding, so this is nowhere near enough to seriously damage the film. Still, it’s a shame that there couldn’t have been another draft or two to polish out these issues and help the film better reach its potential.
The bottom line.
At a time when mainstream cinema is actively regressing in regards to LGBTQ+ representation, it is incredibly refreshing to see an independent film that is actively raising the bar. The fact that it also manages to be extremely funny and occasionally poignant is very pleasant indeed. McCarthy is clearly a talent to watch and Osherovich gives an outstanding performance, making something more memorable than the average high school romp.
She’s the He is now playing in select theaters. Watch the trailer below.
Images courtesy of Obscured Releasing. Read more reviews by Brogan Luke Bouwhuis here.
REVIEW RATING
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She's the He - 6/10
6/10
Brogan Luke Bouwhuis is a writer and film programmer whose frequent pop culture deep dives have allowed him to write about everything from the Richard Gere gerbil rumor to the history of the holiday yule log video. He co-hosts the Franchise Fiends podcast, co-captains the narrative shorts program at the Slamdance Film Festival, and co-created three children with his wife, Jessica.
