Vinnie (Hiroki Berrecloth) runs a small English launderette. It’s fairly typical except that one of the washing machines has been converted into an aquarium, a molly fish drifting slow circles behind the glass. Vinnie’s world is upended the day Ryan (Frank Kauer) walks in asking for change and soap. Nothing is said outright, but the attraction between them is strong.
To Vinnie’s delight, Ryan regularly visits for a bit of flirtation, but Vinnie can’t muster the courage to act upon it. That is, until Connor (Aldous Ciokajlo-Squire) enters the picture and Ryan’s attention shifts. Vinnie gets into his own head—obsessing and imagining what the two of them might be doing at night. He asks Connor to leave and never come back. When Ryan returns, Vinnie finally speaks from his heart, but is it too late?
“Vinnie’s world is upended the day Ryan walks in asking for change and soap.”
Darius Shu wrote and shot Molly as a British East Asian queer filmmaker drawing from his own experience. He wanted to portray queer connection with honesty and restraint. His protagonist, Vinnie, is quiet and observant in a world that tends toward hypersexualization. The film centers on emotional intimacy and vulnerability over physical desire. In other words, Vinnie’s need for companionship is not solely based on sex.
Filmmaker Shu accomplishes his goal by bringing his camera up close and into cramped spaces, while Hiroki Berrecloth gives a deeply emotional performance. It’s all on his face. Shu navigates his camera masterfully, telling the story that he wants. You don’t have to be queer to feel every ounce of what Vinnie is going through.
For screening information, visit the Molly official website.
"…Nothing is said outright, but the attraction between them is strong."
