Honest Portrait of Identity in Progress
T
MOVIE REVIEW
T
- 
Genre: Drama
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 1h 27m
Director(s): Lane Michael Stanley
Writer(s): Lane Michael Stanley
Cast: Mel Glickman
Where to Watch: showing at the 2025 Dances With Films LA Film Festival, for more information, visit www.tthemovie.com
RAVING REVIEW: It’s not often you see a project this raw and stripped of pretense, where the drama plays out in glances, hesitations, and a year’s worth of personal milestones. Rather than leaning on spectacle, this film trusts the audience to sit with uncertainty, and the reward is a story that feels remarkably lived-in and sincere.
What’s especially striking is how naturally it follows its lead, Em, through the first year of testosterone. The structure doesn’t rely on traditional acts or climaxes. Instead, it rides the emotional undercurrents of transformation—an approach that doesn’t force a moment to be bigger than it needs to be. Those subtle changes become the entire point, and the restraint gives the film a unique emotional rhythm.
Mel Glickman plays Em with such immediacy that the performance almost blurs the boundary between fiction and a nearly documentary-like diary. That’s no coincidence: their real-life transition was captured throughout the production, lending the role an undeniable authenticity. You can feel this isn’t acting in the conventional sense—it’s lived experience channeled through a passion project. Even something as simple as preparing for a hormone shot or navigating a difficult conversation carries unexpected weight because we know the stakes are real.
Director and co-writer Lane Michael Stanley leans into this honesty with a production style that supports the story. The camera stays close, the lighting feels warm and lived-in, and the score develops like a companion to Em’s inner world. There’s no need for forced cues to tell you how to feel. The soundscape mirrors the pace of change, gentle and purposeful.
The rest of the ensemble adds complexity without pulling attention from Em’s journey. Spencer, Em’s fiancé, is portrayed as someone caught in his own emotional gridlock. His discomfort doesn’t erupt into theatrics; it simmers under the surface, showing how internalized fear can paralyze progress. Rose, a trans woman and Em’s close friend, is a steadying presence. Her journey back into performing adds another layer to the theme of reclaiming self. Then there’s Ana, whose creativity and intensity light a fire in Em but also bring turbulence due to their mental health. These characters help round out the world Em inhabits, reflecting different types of acceptance, resistance, and care.
The film’s cycle-based narrative approach works especially well. Moments can breathe, and transitions between scenes feel organic, not rushed. We watch as Em confronts issues like medical appointments, strained family dynamics, and moments of self-doubt. These moments could feel small in another context, but they resonate here because they are handled precisely and respectfully.
What makes this film stand out is its quiet confidence. It doesn’t feel the need to justify itself or educate the viewer. It simply presents a life unfolding—sometimes awkward, sometimes joyful, often uncertain. It trusts the audience to connect without being spoon-fed, which is rare and welcome. This is a film about life, and one that I am honored to have experienced!
Even more powerful is that this project was made during an incredibly difficult time for the trans community. Its refusal to lean into stereotypes or play up its politics doesn’t make it apolitical—it makes it real. The film’s power lies in the ordinary, the everyday, the small victories, and personal revelations. That, in itself, becomes its form of quiet activism.
This film shows rather than tells, resulting in a narrative that lingers longer than louder, flashier projects. It’s not chasing prestige or perfection—it’s content to be honest. And that’s exactly what makes it matter. For those willing to meet it on its terms, this is a rare opportunity to witness a transition story not framed by tragedy or triumph, but by lived reality—unfiltered, messy, and deeply human.
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[photo courtesy of SECRETLY FAMOUS PRODUCTIONS]
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