


2025
Plainclothes
In Syracuse, 1996, Lucas (Tom Blyth) is a rising undercover agent tasked with luring gay men to public toilets to arrest them. When he meets Andrew (Russell Tovey) on the job, he breaks the rules and falls in love. In his directorial debut, Carmen Emmi creates a striking film that draws the viewer into experiencing the world from Lucas’s perspective.
Director
Carmen Emmi
Runtime
95 Minutes
Country
United States
Classification
Unclassified 18+
In Syracuse, 1996, Lucas (Tom Blyth) is a rising undercover agent tasked with luring gay men to public toilets to arrest them for indecency. There are clear rules that he must abide by to ensure that the arrest can’t be judged as entrapment – no talking, and he can’t step into the cubicle.
When he meets Andrew (Russell Tovey) on the job, he breaks the rules and falls in love. While Andrew vows that he only ever meets men once, Lucas persists in pursuing him. This increasing infatuation coincides with Lucas’s guilt over his role in persecuting gay men, many of whom are closeted and terrified of being outed. Interwoven with this budding relationship are scenes from a boisterous family dinner party at his mother’s house, where his lecherous uncle’s new girlfriend threatens to expose Lucas’s secret. In his directorial debut, Carmen Emmi has created an aesthetically striking and compelling film that draws the viewer into experiencing the world from Lucas’s perspective.
When he meets Andrew (Russell Tovey) on the job, he breaks the rules and falls in love. While Andrew vows that he only ever meets men once, Lucas persists in pursuing him. This increasing infatuation coincides with Lucas’s guilt over his role in persecuting gay men, many of whom are closeted and terrified of being outed. Interwoven with this budding relationship are scenes from a boisterous family dinner party at his mother’s house, where his lecherous uncle’s new girlfriend threatens to expose Lucas’s secret. In his directorial debut, Carmen Emmi has created an aesthetically striking and compelling film that draws the viewer into experiencing the world from Lucas’s perspective.
“A moving story told with sensitivity and beautifully acted by the two leads.”
The Hollywood Reporter
Sundance - Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast
Film Credits
Director
Carmen Emmi
Year
2025
Country
United States
Language
English
Subtitles
English
Type
Feature & Fiction
Program Strand
World Cinema
Producer
Colby Cote, Arthur Landon, Eric Podwall & Vanessa Pantley
Writer
Carmen Emmi
Cinematographer
Ethan Palmer
Editor
Erik Vogt-Nilsen
Cast
Tom Blyth, Russell Tovey & Maria Dizzia
Music
Emily Wells
Film Source
Colby Cote & Magnify
Genre
Drama, LGBTQIA+ & Thriller
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