National Anthem

National Anthem, the feature debut from Luke Gilford, is a dazzling coming-of-age tale of self-discovery and sexual awakening which sees 21-year-old construction worker Dylan (Charlie Plummer) find a new job at a ranch in New Mexico that’s run by a queer community. The dusty, wide-open countryside feels like a different world from the small house he shares with his younger brother (Joey DeLeon) and mother (Robin Lively), who’s more preoccupied with her regular one-night stands than looking after her kids. However, it’s the relationship he forms with Sky (Eve Lindley) that helps him discover parts of himself that he didn’t know existed.

Like most films of its kind, National Anthem is light on plot. Rather, its focus is primarily on Dylan’s journey from shy construction worker to someone who confidently performs on stage in full drag. His transformation is a slow one that consists of scenes of being given an impromptu makeover in a shop, attempting to ride a bull for the first time at a rodeo, and opening himself up to new sexual experiences. There’s a wonderful sense of community woven into each of these moments that welcomes both Dylan and viewers into the fold with open arms.

The ranch is a place of freedom and beauty where the characters can be themselves, whether that’s drag artist, trans or non-binary. Though there is some conflict between Dylan and his mother surrounding his burgeoning sexuality, the script doesn’t dive much further into this part of the protagonist’s journey. While the decision to skim over this subplot thins down an already sparse plot, it’s an understandable one given that this movie aims to celebrate queerness and not romanticise trauma for clichéd dramatic effect.

As joyous as watching these characters embrace their lives to the fullest, Plummer’s drag performance being a main highlight, Gilford throws some devastating emotional gut punches throughout this feature too. These blows hit all the harder as a direct result of Plummer and Lindley’s endlessly likeable and authentic performances. The pair are a delight to watch onscreen together, with the path their bond takes imparting some poignant life lessons along the way.

Fronted by strong turns from Plummer and Lindley, National Anthem is a heartfelt tale of queer acceptance, which constantly surprises and delights at every turn.

Andrew Murray

National Anthem is released digitally on demand on 9^th December 2024.

Watch the trailer for National Anthem here: