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Sebastian

Play trailer1:56Poster for SebastianReleased Aug 2, 20241h 50mDramaLGBTQ+Play Trailer Watchlist
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75%Tomatometer 59 Reviews 61%Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Max (Ruaridh Mollica) is a 25-year-old aspiring novelist, living in London and paying his dues working at a literary magazine. Frustrated by his own ambitions and the pressures to succeed, Max begins moonlighting as a sex worker with the pseudonym Sebastian, secretly meeting men via an escorting platform and using his experiences to fuel his stories. What begins as a few furtive meetings soon becomes a hidden nocturnal life, and the debut novel that he has been longing to write finally seems within reach. Finding himself more comfortable as Sebastian than expected, yet determined to keep his exploits a secret, Max increasingly struggles to remain in control of a delicately balanced double-life. As he confronts conflicting feelings of ecstasy, shame, and exhilarating liberation, Max has to reckon with whether Sebastian is merely a writer's tool to achieve first-hand authenticity -- or whether something more is at stake.
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Critics Consensus

Mollica compels as a young man caught between two lives and his performance elevates Sebastian, a provocative if uneven story that explores an artist's quest to find inspiration and authenticity in the name of art.

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Critics Reviews

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Wendy Ide Observer (UK) It’s tender, thoughtful film-making from Finnish director Mikko Mäkelä, exploring the bond between two men separated by generations but joined by literature and love. Rated: 4/5 Apr 7, 2025 Full Review Marina Ashioti Little White Lies Sebastian gradually transforms into something more substantial when reaching towards a point about the cross-generational relaying of queer histories, but ultimately is too preoccupied with constructing a shallow character study. Rated: 2/5 Apr 3, 2025 Full Review Phil Hoad Guardian With the film partly caught in this self-referentiality, it doesn’t develop much beyond a vague treatise on the cost of pseudonymous exploitation. At least the director’s identification with his lead character results in a strong performance from Mollica. Rated: 3/5 Apr 2, 2025 Full Review Andrew Murray The Upcoming Despite some murky character motivation, Sebastian stands as a well-made feature from Mäkelä, which explores some compelling ideas surrounding artistic creation and companionship. Rated: 3/5 Apr 9, 2025 Full Review Victoria Luxford City AM It’s more interesting as a character study than a vehicle for examining the larger questions about sex work. A flawed but interesting drama, Sebastian presents a lot of modern conundrums, but performs better when focusing on humanity. Rated: 3/5 Apr 8, 2025 Full Review Amelia Harvey Frame Rated Somewhere, under the layers of trying too hard, Sebastian is a well-crafted movie about social media, sex, making art and embracing your true self. Sadly, any message gets lost in its directionless writing and lack of pace. Rated: 3.5/5 Apr 2, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Cristal I liked the movie. Maybe a bit too long. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars08/13/24 Full Review david m I really enjoyed this film. It took me by surprise. I wasn't sure what it was going to be about. But it turned out to be such a great experience. It's hard to find films like this especially with queer Cinema. But this was such a great story and it was really well written. And the acting was very good and the way it was shot was beautiful. I was moved. Highly recommend for audiences seeking out good queer cinema. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars08/10/24 Full Review Robson C Max é um jovem de 25 anos, jornalista freelancer a aspirante a escritor, que está escrevendo um romance sobre profissionais do sexo na era digital. Para isso, ele cria uma nova identidade, Sebastian, e oferece seus serviços em sites e aplicativos de relacionamento. Aos poucos, esta vida dupla ameaça tanto sua vida profissional quanto a criada para Sebastian. Max, quando na pele de Sebastian, é um misto de vergonha, sedução, excitação e medo, ao adentrar a vida de um profissional do sexo. E Max não consegue separar estes dois lados da sua vida, o que vai o prejudicando profissionalmente dos dois lados: atrasando entregas na revista onde trabalha ou para a editora do seu livro ou o medo de encontrar com algum cliente enquanto está como Max, E ele vai se viciando em seu lado Sebastian: além do dinheiro que ganha, está o tesão e as aventuras que surgem, onde rola muito sexo, drogas e álcool. O protagonista, Ruaridh Mollica, faz um excelente trabalho como Max e a dualidade que o seu personagem está passando. Como Max, ele não consegue marcar um encontro com um garoto de programa. Como Sebastian, ele recebe propostas para viagens ao exterior. Talvez um ponto falho no roteiro seja não apresentar o lado negativo da vida de um garoto de programa, que só acontece quase no final do filme. Pode ser que haja profissionais do sexo, tanto homens quanto mulheres, que nunca passaram por perrengue nenhum, mas acaba soando que essa é uma profissão tranquila, o que não é verdade. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars04/13/25 Full Review Michael S Wasn’t sure about the movie at first, but the riveting performance of Mollica was brilliant. Did not know this actor and see quite a future for him. His solemn and introspective battle with the “research” was heart-wrenching. A definite must-see movie. Rated 5 out of 5 stars04/03/25 Full Review Richard F A very moving take on the love connections made by a rent boy, Sebastian, who brings a good heart to his second income. It's both moving and it also moves. Quite an eye opener. Reminds me of a friend long ago who used to hustle in the 60s. He protested, "Hustlers get a bad rap. They provide a closeness people need and can't get anywhere else." Rated 5 out of 5 stars01/21/25 Full Review Alec B Its a suprising movie, mostly because you don't initially expect this seemingly inscrutable young man to have any depth of feeling. It becomes clear though that what he's looking for is a kind of tangible validation beyond his work and beyond the novel he's writing Rated 4 out of 5 stars11/18/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Mikko Mäkelä

Director

Ruaridh Mollica

Max

Hiftu Quasem

Amna

Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson

Daniel

Lara Rossi

Claudia

Leanne Best

Dionne

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Movie Info

SynopsisMax (Ruaridh Mollica) is a 25-year-old aspiring novelist, living in London and paying his dues working at a literary magazine. Frustrated by his own ambitions and the pressures to succeed, Max begins moonlighting as a sex worker with the pseudonym Sebastian, secretly meeting men via an escorting platform and using his experiences to fuel his stories. What begins as a few furtive meetings soon becomes a hidden nocturnal life, and the debut novel that he has been longing to write finally seems within reach. Finding himself more comfortable as Sebastian than expected, yet determined to keep his exploits a secret, Max increasingly struggles to remain in control of a delicately balanced double-life. As he confronts conflicting feelings of ecstasy, shame, and exhilarating liberation, Max has to reckon with whether Sebastian is merely a writer's tool to achieve first-hand authenticity -- or whether something more is at stake.
Director
Mikko Mäkelä
Producer
James Robert Benjamin Watson
Screenwriter
Mikko Mäkelä
Distributor
Kino Lorber
Production Co
Lemming Film België, Good Chaos, Finnish Impact Film Fund, Bêtes Sauvages, Barry Crerar, Helsinki Filmi Oy
Genre
Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 2, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 1, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA)
$64.5K
Runtime
1h 50m
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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