Rising drag star Simon (Théodore Pellerin) is making a name for himself on the drag scene in Montreal. The arrival of Oliver (Félix Maritaud) to Simon’s drag troupe leads to an instant attraction between the two young men. Besotted with one another, they begin to choreograph routines together and sparks fly. Just as it seems like nothing can get between them, Oliver’s dominant side rears its ugly head, and his competitive and destructive behaviour threatens to tear the couple apart.
‘Solo’ is the new film from writer/director Sophie Dupuis and it’s an exploration of self-empowerment and toxic relationships. At the beginning of the film Simon appears to be living a good life. He’s close to his sister Maude (Alice Moreault), who makes his costumes for him, and he’s found a family with his fellow drag performers in addition to his father and step-mother. Two events threaten to destabilise that – new drag performer Oliver and the return of Simon’s absent opera singer mother (Anne-Marie Cadieux).
Simon’s attraction to Oliver is instant, with the two taking MDMA together in a toilet cubicle and quickly becoming inseparable. Despite there being mystery around why Frenchman Oliver has come to Montreal, Simon doesn’t bother to dig preferring to follow his heart instead. It’s not long before Oliver is chipping away at Simon, undermining him and put his confidence to test. It’s clearly a toxic relationship the two have fallen into but neither of them sees it, at least initially. As is so often the case with lust, the two men hurtle forward regardless of whether they are equipped to actually be together.
When Simon’s mother Claire re-enters the family picture after pretty much ditching them to pursue her career, that becomes another source of conflict for Simon. It also causes further problems with Oliver who fawns over Simon’s mother, and enters into a competition for her attention and affection. Claire’s decision to want to see her children again brings up plenty of feelings too, adding more pressure to Simon’s already pressure-filled life.
‘Solo’ benefits from two strong lead performances. Théodore Pellerin and Félix Maritaud both give impressive turns, with Pellerin fleshing out Simon to be much more nuanced and layered than the story calls for. Maritaud plays to his strength as the bad boy of the piece, effortlessly burning down everything around him while being oblivious to the chaos he brings. Together they have some sizzling scenes, and their chemistry is the driver of the film.
‘Solo’ is an entertaining film, with the high points being the drag performances that are littered throughout. It does tread some well-trodden tropes in terms of gay romances always having to be troubled and conflict-ridden, but Dupuis finds plenty to say particularly in the area of toxic relationships. It’s nice to see a gay film that isn’t about coming out, with characters that have already established who they are and are comfortable, for the most part, in their own skin.
Cast: Théodore Pellerin, Félix Maritaud, Alice Moreault, Anne-Marie Cadieux Director: Sophie Dupuis Writer: Sophie Dupuis Certificate: 15 Duration: 101 mins Released by: Peccadillo Pictures Release date: 19th September 2025
