Actors

Also, throughout Actors, Betsey’s character chastises Peter for transitioning into Petra, telling him that what he’s doing is incredibly socially irresponsible. Oddly enough, though the story seems to be centered on a trans-narrative, it definitely is not. Instead, it is more about actors who will do anything weird to draw attention to themselves.

Betsey feels like she can’t compete with Petra on their level because of the novelty of it all. So her boyfriend Andrew (Andrew Ryder) convinces her that they should start trying to have a baby. As Petra’s persona becomes more and more developed, scary, and unhinged, Betsey sees having the baby almost as a way of competing with Peter.

“…one of the most unique films I’ve seen…”

I could tell you a hundred different things I think that Actors is “about.” First, it’s about sibling rivalry. That part of the film could be described as Whatever Happened to Baby Jane/All About Eve under the influence of heavy psychedelics. It’s also about acceptance and avoidance of self. Not to mention the great lengths one will go, such as transitioning to another sex or having a baby to avoid yourself and your perceived failings. It’s also a document of a relationship that actually exists between Betsey and Andrew, and even though it’s kind of twisted, it’s also very sweet. Finally, it’s definitely about our connection to family, however stressful and dysfunctional it may be.

I’m not going to lie and say, “Oh, yes, Actors is for everyone!” Because that is certainly not true. However, I think it’s one of the most unique films I’ve seen in quite some time. It looks at the private realities of people that could be uncomfortably familiar to you or those you know. Betsey makes a big statement about insecurity and how social media exacerbates it while also somehow validating you at the same time (?!?!). The screenplay is very intelligent and hides a lot of subtle existential commentary under the guise of Peter/Petra (and sometimes Betsey) being crazy and offensive.

Who knows if any of this is intentional. I think it is, considering how smart both Brown siblings are. If not, then Actors is just a hilarious chaotic comedy that will undoubtedly offend some people without them even seeing it. I had a friend refer to the film as “Soul Man for trans people,” but it’s definitely NOT that. So do yourself a favor and get over the initial shock of the narrative and see the film. It’s pretty damn revolutionary as there’s not much out there like it.