Moffie

IFC Films | Release Date: April 9, 2021

6.7	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 7 Ratings

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TVJerryApr 15, 2021

There have been movies depicting the brutal treatment of soldiers during training. There have been movies about a secret gay relationship in the military. This film covers both issues. It takes place in 80s South Africa, when the whiteThere have been movies depicting the brutal treatment of soldiers during training. There have been movies about a secret gay relationship in the military. This film covers both issues. It takes place in 80s South Africa, when the white minority government drafted all boys over 16 to join the fight to defend apartheid and diffuse the threat of communism. The protagonist (Kai Luke Brummer) watches cruelty on several fronts, while struggling with his own identity and the man he’s come to care about. The majority of the movie is spent showing various characters’ humiliation and fear, while some of the detours and developments seem aimless or abrupt. Brummer’s performance is appropriately subdued, but most of his emotional development comes from his changing haircuts. The heavy-handed ruthlessness that surrounds this story eventually becomes trying and the concluding moments seem abruptly unsatisfying. BTW, the title is South African slang for sissy. (In English and Dutch with subtitles)… Expand

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katezoeApr 11, 2021

Painful coming of age film, being closeted and serving in the military in South Africa during apartheid. A society based on normalizing brutality and hatred.

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Brent_MarchantApr 10, 2021

When a closeted gay South African teen (a "moffie" in local derogatory lingo) is conscripted into the military in 1981 to fight encroaching Angolan communists and to enforce the nation's existing apartheid laws, he's not sure how to handleWhen a closeted gay South African teen (a "moffie" in local derogatory lingo) is conscripted into the military in 1981 to fight encroaching Angolan communists and to enforce the nation's existing apartheid laws, he's not sure how to handle himself. And, unfortunately, neither is director Oliver Hermanus when it comes to telling his story. The film's seemingly solid and ironic premise -- that of someone in a persecuted community having to enforce legally sanctioned discriminatory policies against members of other persecuted constituencies -- should have been enough in itself to drive the narrative of this offering. However, Hermanus frequently goes off point (and, in turn, off the rails) in examining other less engaging tangents, drawing attention away from what should have easily made this picture work best. Odd editing, an inconsistent use of flashbacks, a patchwork of incompatible camera techniques and an almost-corny soundtrack don't help matters, either. To the director's credit, he does a credible job of presenting the extremes of emotion that men are capable of, from horrifically barbaric to eminently sensitive and caring, in large part through homages to movies like "Full Metal Jacket" (1987) and "Brokeback Mountain" (sans cowboys) (2005). But, these few strengths aside, "Moffie" is a major disappointment, and that's regrettable, as this BAFTA-nominated release was something I was truly looking forward to.… Expand

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