The Queer Gaze

Joe and Conrad kick off a new theme on 'HIV and AIDS' with a look at the earliest text to discuss the disease: An Early Frost from 1985.
NBC's made-for-TV film is something of a marvel considering advertisers wouldn't touch it. Thankfully audiences, awards bodies and an all-star cast had no problem!
Plus: Aidan Quinn's lead performance, the lack of intimacy between Michael and his partner Peter, and how the film may be more about straight people than queer people...
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After six films, Conrad and Joe wrap up our 'Sex Work and Pornography' theme by revisiting common threads and themes, our favourite discoveries, and the titles we'd most recommend to listeners.
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Conrad and Joe wrap up our theme with Camille Vidal-Naquet's 2018 film Sauvage ('Wild'), a purportedly "judgement-free" documentary-style, gritty depiction of 'Sex Work and Pornography.' The trauma porn narrative, however, feels pretty moralistic to us!
Plus: comparisons to 2024's Baby; Félix Maritaud's "brave" central performance; Léo and Ahd's interesting relationship; and a tease of why Félix and Claude's romance doesn't work.
Seen the film or want to hear more details? Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/TheQueerGaze for ~21 more minutes of spoiler-heavy discussion.
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Conrad and Joe hit pause on 'Sex Work and Pornography' to discuss one of 2025's biggest queer films: Harry Lighton's Pillion (2025).
It may surprise you to discover that we're ambivalent about the film! We don't entirely understand its reception as a romance, especially given how disaffecting (and possibly abusive) the central relationship is.
Plus: adaptation changes from Adam Mars-Jones's novella Box Hill; fantastic lead performances; Conrad's theatrical experience; and the moments of comedy that work
Seen the film or want to hear more details? Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/TheQueerGaze for ~23.5 more minutes of spoiler-heavy discussion.
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The second to last entry in our 'Sex Work and Pornography' theme is Brazilian director Marcelo Caetano's Baby (2024) about a newly released convict who is introduced to a life of sex work by an older man.
From cruising spots to the intersection of sex & drugs, this beautiful film features a great debut performance by João Pedro Mariano as the title character. But there are a few elements, such as the contrived last act conflict, that don't entirely work for us.
Seen the film or want to hear more details? Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/TheQueerGaze for ~15 more minutes of spoiler-heavy discussion.
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Follow the show on Insta and BlueSky: @thequeergaze.
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.