SIFF 2026: 'Body Blow' Capsule Review

Imagine if Greg Araki or Alice Maio Mackay made Cruising and you have an idea of Dean Francis’s Body Blow. Lo-fi and neon-drenched, it follows a sex-addicted, non-masturbating cop (Tim Pocock) as he gets in too deep with a ruthless drag queen crime boss.

[Related Reading: 'The Serpent's Skin' Movie Review]

A sleazy, sweaty, romantic queer neo-noir, Body Blow plays all the hits, dissecting morality, exploring the blurry lines between right and wrong, and the rest. But Francis also tinkers with  the formulas, subverting them in fresh ways. You’ve never seen a cop bar like this. Where else can you find a character best described as a twink fatale and fake titties full of heroin? [Grade: B]

 

Find all of our SIFF 2026 coverage here.