Make it a Double Feature: ‘Plainclothes’ and ‘A Nice Indian Boy’
While Russell Tovey was making the press rounds for Plainclothes, in an interview with IndieWire, he commented on the legacy of the HBO series Looking where he had a main role. Tovey said the show has such a strong following that after two seasons and a made-for-TV movie, people clamor for another season. A sentiment that Tovey himself agrees with.
As we’re seeing with cult shows like Pushing Daisies getting renewed and Heated Rivalry getting a second season greenlight before the season finale, audiences are hungry for nostalgia and steamy gay sex. So, why not see what Patrick, Kevin, and co. are up to nowadays? Given how a record number of LGBTQ+ shows, including the acclaimed Netflix series Boots, are being cancelled, we can certainly use as much on-screen representation as possible.
But until we await a figurative third season of Looking like we’re anticipating Rihanna’s ninth album, I’ve concocted a recommended double feature composed of two hidden queer gems released this year: Plainclothes and A Nice Indian Boy starring Tovey’s Looking co-star Jonathan Groff.
Set in 1990s Syracuse, Plainclothes follows the story of Lucas (Tom Blyth, The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes), an undercover cop tasked with apprehending closeted queer men at his local shopping mall. But complications arise when he crosses paths with the mysterious Andrew (Russell Tovey), a planned target whom he falls in love with. Since their chance encounter, what transpires is a story that is passionate yet stressful in themes and execution while being unfortunately timely.
Through the use of grainy camcorder footage lensed by DP Ethan Palmer, writer/director Carmen Emmi effectively immerses the viewer into Lucas’ panicked state of mind. There’s a spark between him and Andrew yet there’s the constant worry of being found out whether it’s by his fellow officers in the police force or his own family. Such anxieties can still be felt by the LGBTQ+ community in the United States today as, not too long after the film’s release, there were reports of numerous plainclothes operations taking place at a gay cruising spot in NYC this year, resulting in over 200 arrests.
As much as we need more buoyant queer narratives, Plainclothes highlights the necessity for stories that capture painful periods in LGBTQ+ history to ensure we’re not doomed to repeat the present. Especially when we’re on the verge of repeating said history. Also, in a film where the main characters use gestures and gazes to express feelings they can’t say aloud, such moments prove to be as stimulating as the scenes of them expressing physical carnality.
The movie theater scene, in particular, where Lucas allows Andrew to slowly caress him is a fine exercise in simmering romantic tension. As Andrew asks Lucas for permission to touch him, saying “Blink once for no, twice for yes,” Lucas blinks twice before the camera lingers closely on both men as their bodies close in on each other and they get into slight playful banter. While a small moment that builds up to when he and Andrew become more intimate, the hunger in Lucas’ eyes highlights his burgeoning feelings of awakening.
In a very tricky role, Tom Blyth relies on his eyes to convey a whirlwind of carnal desire and stressful emotional longing within a nonlinear narrative that transports us from when he and Andrew cross paths to a stressful New Year’s Eve family party. Despite only seeing Blyth in this and the underrated Benediction, it’s the kind of revelatory performance that had me like “What is this actor doing next?!” when the credits rolled. Meanwhile, Russell Tovey astounds in a similarly tough role as Andrew. Although Andrew never goes out in disguise, it feels like he’s putting on different types of masks. Through a sly shift in facial movements, Tovey is able to gradually move from guarded and alluring to conveying Andrew’s more susceptible side. Along with Blyth’s work, Tovey’s performance is one of 2025’s best.
By comparison, A Nice Indian Boy is lighter in tone and content. Also, while there is a brief moment of physicality between the central couple, A Nice Indian Boy emphasizes more on romantic intimacy compared to the sexual kind that’s a focal point in Plainclothes. When Naveen (Karan Soni, the Deadpool films) falls for Jay (Jonathan Groff), a charming photographer, the spark that ignites between them stems from Naveen’s attraction to Jay’s warm personality along with their loose cultural connection as Jay is the adopted child of a deceased Indian couple.
Besides having to go through the relatable pain of bringing Jay to meet his religiously devoted yet open-minded family, it’s a clash in habits, like Naveen having issues with Jay’s marijuana use, that create friction between the central couple. Yet, it’s a testament to Karan Soni and Jonathan Groff’s chemistry that you’re left wanting them to be together in the end. Soni is enduring as the lovelorn yet timid Naveen while Jonathan Groff is a charisma bomb as Jay, making a case for why he needs to be in more movies. Also, for those who can never get enough of the Tony-winning actor’s crooning (“Those” being all of us), Groff even gets to sing a tune.
Like with any successful rom-com, the lead actors are what help A Nice Indian Boy soar. Furthermore, the film is the kind of aforementioned buoyant queer narrative that viewers need more of. As previously noted, serious stories like Plainclothes are a necessity. But A Nice Indian Boy would still be a necessary palette cleanser after seeing the gritty Sundance gem. If you’re a fan of Looking and/or want to support great queer art because, frankly, we’re going to have to support as much as possible in our current climate, definitely pick these films for your 2025 catch-up viewing and make it a double feature.
Plainclothes is available to buy and rent on VOD. A Nice Indian Boy is available to stream on Hulu.
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