An Essex mechanic and a drag artist fall in love against the odds in this British romantic drama, and Film Brain thinks it's hopefulness makes up for the unsteadiness in its heels.
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00:00Two strong performances from Ben Hardy and newcomer Jason Patel are at the centre of Unicorns.
00:05Hardy is a single father and mechanic who is paid by drag artist Patel to drive them to their shows,
00:10and a relationship forms between them.
00:13Patel has the showy role and is very charismatic,
00:16with their talkative wit hiding a scared vulnerability underneath,
00:19but Hardy also sustly impresses as the somewhat prejudiced and occasionally boorish Essex lad,
00:25who ends up undergoing a quietly radical transformation and self-awakening.
00:30The film is very much about identity and cultures clashing,
00:33and not just between the two leads, but also in the South Asian community,
00:36as Patel has to deal with his conservative family,
00:39which leads to some of the best scenes in the movie,
00:41especially as it becomes more the focus in the final third.
00:44I did find Unicorns to be a bit of an uneven movie at times,
00:47but it's also a hopeful one as well, as you genuinely root for these characters,
00:52especially thanks to the two leads' performances,
00:55and you really do feel the change in them by the time the end credits roll.