The new Queer As Folk has arrived on Stan in Australia and it is a beautiful and moving reboot of the cult classic.
Featuring a range of diverse and modern characters the new series reflects a new generation of queer people on screen.
While the content is confronting, it’s a beautiful and touching story told through the lens of queer life in New Orleans.
Queer As Folk returns
With reboots all the rage, some successful and some not, it’s easy to have been trepidatious about the newest offering of Queer As Folk.
Previous versions have reflected various aspects of gay life in different decades, helping pave the way for queer representation on television.
Now a new generation are taking their place on screen and they are holding their own.
Set against the backdrop of New Orleans our cast finds themselves intersected between friendship and romance, until one night changes everything.
Based on the Orlando pulse nightclub shooting, the group find themselves in a local gay bar when a gunman enters and opens fire.
It’s a confronting scene, particularly with the season debuting so close to the anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting itself.
The show itself, handles the story with a haunting beauty that pays a delicate homage to what those who faced this crisis went through.
It attempts to navigate the complexities and the struggles that each of the survivors face as they all come to terms with what happened in their own ways.
Show creator Stephen Dunn met with survivors of the shooting to gain their input in the shows creation and it is felt vividly on screen.
“I wanted to re-envision it through the lens of what happened post-Pulse. Pulse is a specific event that targeted the Latinx community in Orlando” Dunn said.
“The trajectory of our story is inspired by the realities of what that was like — not just that night, but the aftermath and the way that the community of Orlando rebuilt in the wake of that tragedy.”
Delivering Diversity in 2022
There’s a lot to love about the characters in this Queer As Folk.
While each iteration before this has seen their own unique set of characters, they were largely cis white men.
The approach for the 2022 reboot reflects the necessity to put more of our community on display to reflect its true diversity.
People of colour, people with disabilities and trans/non-binary characters are all woven into the story seamlessly. It flows without reeking of tokenism or what some would call a “woke” narrative.
Our protagonists are there, existing, loving, fighting, fucking and healing.
Yes, just like it’s predecessors there’s plenty of fucking too.
While the show is peppered with sex scenes from the outset they aren’t there for the “shock factor.”
Sex is used as a narrative tool, book ending episodes and informing discussions with the characters.
And it works.
Queer As Folk delivers dynamic characters
Much of the show focuses around Brodie (Devin Way). a moody, impulsive and quite often selfish character. He is anchored in the centre of most of the characters lives and delivers plenty of drama. However the rest have plenty more to offer.
Ruthie (Jessie James Keitel) and Shar (CG) are a captivating couple in the series. Ruthie, a local high school teacher is a trans woman. Her non-binary partner Shar, has just given birth to their twins, who Brodie was the donor for.
Together they are navigating the mixed complexity of Ruthies struggles with the aftermath of the shooting and their new life as parents. Their relationship is often fraught with drama, frank conversations and plenty of laugh out loud moments.
Noah, Mingus, Julian and Marvin also add layers of beauty and humour to the screen each episode.
Up and coming seventeen year old drag queen Mingus (Fin Argus) is bold and vulnerable, his unrequited attraction Brodie is touching and relatable.
Meanwhile Noah (Johnny Sibilly) lost his partner Daddius on the nightclub shoot. Now he is faced with navigating his past relationship with Brodie and new found feelings for Julian. The added complexity here? Noah is Julians brother.
Ryan O’Connell who is best known for his Netflix hit Special, stars as Julian. It’s another great role for Ryan who beautifully highlights the complexities of life as a gay man with cerebral palsy on screen. He is warm and loveable and his growing mutual attraction with Noah is touching to watch.
Marvin (Eric Graise) manages to be a standout in the show. He is loud, brash, sharp, perceptive, vulnerable and hilariously inappropriate all at the same time. Marvin is wheelchair bound and an active member of the New Orleans queer nightlife. His outspoken nature is a joyous addition to the show.
Kim Cattrall shines on Queer As Folk
There was plenty of talk when it was announced Kim Cattrall would be part of the Queer As Folk reboot.
But the former Sex and The City star has delivered a hilarious and touching character.
Mother to both Julian and Brodie, her role as Brenda is delivered with a perfect blend of wit and warmth.
Desperately unhappy in her marriage to her husband she yearns for the affection of her children and drinks to cope.
When she discovers Brodie was the donor to Ruth and Shar she relentlessly implants herself in their life.
It’s a brilliant role for Cattrall that really adds an extra element to the show and helps deliver the laughs.
Cattrall and all the other cast members truly make the Queer As Folk reboot worth watching.
You can catch all episodes streaming now on Stan in Australia.
Watch the full trailer below.
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