A Love Story Bound in Blackmail and Violence

MOVIE REVIEW
Body Blow
 -     

Genre: Crime, Thriller, Queer Noir
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 1h 39m
Director(s): Dean Francis
Writer(s): Dean Francis
Cast: Tim Pocock, Tom Rodgers, Paul Capsis, Sacha Horler, Chris Haywood
Where to Watch: shown at the 2025 Fantastic Fest

RAVING REVIEW: BODY BLOW doesn’t just resurrect the heyday of the erotic thriller — it rips it apart, drenches it in excess, and rebuilds it through a proudly queer lens. Dean Francis crafts a crime saga that feels nostalgic for the audacity of the 90s and radical in its refusal to trim its edges. The film declares itself a work of defiance: dirty, dangerous, and designed for audiences hungry for something riskier than what genre cinema typically allows.

At the center of the story is Aiden, played with intensity by Tim Pocock. A cop reassigned to Sydney’s gay nightlife district, Aiden is already weighed down by misconduct allegations and a desperate attempt to wrestle with his own compulsions. His struggle with sex addiction, symbolized through his flirtation with chastity and abstinence, sets up a collision course with Cody, a drug-addled bartender and sex worker portrayed by Tom Rodgers. Their first encounter crackles with danger and attraction, and from that moment, the film never looks back. Cody embodies the classic femme fatale archetype reimagined: irresistible, destructive, and carrying secrets of his own.

The narrative spirals when Fat Frankie, a drag queen mob boss brought to life with theatricality and menace by Paul Capsis, pulls Aiden into a web of blackmail and betrayal. What unfolds is both noir and neon opera: murder, corruption, heroin, and double-crosses that make every turn feel both inevitable and shocking. Sacha Horler, as Steele, adds bite and cynicism, grounding the film’s more flamboyant flourishes with pragmatism. Chris Haywood, as Steele’s father, layers in gravitas that connects the film’s energy to a longer history of power and corruption in Sydney’s underworld.

Francis doesn’t shy away from the details. BODY BLOW is sweaty, horny, and violent — but never gratuitous without purpose. The sex scenes are framed not as exhilaration for its own sake, but as the front lines for power and identity. Every moment of intimacy doubles as a negotiation: between Aiden and Cody, between Aiden and himself, and between characters caught in Sydney’s nightlife. It’s this refusal to separate desire from danger that makes the film compelling, a reminder that erotic thrillers are at their best when they’re about more than just the sex. It’s an interesting twist, because the acting at times feels cheesy, but in a way that feels like an homage to the saxophone-drenched world this film inhabits.

BODY BLOW is as stylized as its influences demand. Cinematographer Franc Biffone paints Sydney with gritty realism and heightened artificiality. Neon-drenched clubs and claustrophobic apartments become stages for both seduction and violence. The decision to shoot driving scenes using front projection gives the film a tactile, almost dreamlike quality — a nod to Hitchcock and De Palma. Francis deliberately keeps the seams showing, emphasizing that this world is both lived-in and exaggerated. It’s a choice that deepens the film’s camp undertones while still maintaining noir tension.

The score, shaped in part by Pocock himself, adds a layer of intimacy. By composing cues from Aiden’s perspective, Pocock infuses the music with the same tension that defines his character. The result is a soundscape that feels subjective — less about mood for the audience and more about inviting them inside Aiden’s fractured psyche. It’s a queer noir that doesn’t exist just to subvert clichés; it embraces them, breaks them, and bends them into something electric. Aiden is both a traditional noir protagonist — broken, flawed, manipulated — and something entirely on his own, a man struggling with addiction, repression, and identity in ways that cut deeper than a simple morality tale. Cody, meanwhile, is more than just a dangerous lover. Rodgers plays him with a disarming sweetness that complicates his manipulations, making his betrayal feel as tragic as it does inevitable.

Its unapologetic embrace of camp may alienate viewers expecting a polished thriller. Some of its dialogue deliberately skews theatrical, leaning into pulpiness rather than depth. And the narrative, sprawling with betrayals and reversals, occasionally threatens to collapse under its own ambition. But to critique BODY BLOW for being too much is to miss its point — this is a film about excess, about bodies and desires that refuse to be contained by storytelling. Its willingness to go all in is exactly what makes it memorable.

Francis frames the story as both cautionary and hopeful. Noir traditionally punishes its protagonists, especially queer ones, with inevitable tragedy. BODY BLOW bends that rule. While its final act is violent, there’s a thread of survival and connection that lingers. Aiden and Cody’s bond is destructive, but also undeniably human. The film explores whether redemption is possible when one is already deeply entrenched in corruption, and whether love can flourish amidst betrayal that seems inevitable.

BODY BLOW stands as a declaration of intent. In a landscape often defined by safe content, this film dares to be dangerous. It embraces the erotic, the messy, and the campy, reclaiming the erotic thriller for audiences who want it filthy, queer, and full of contradictions. For Francis, it’s less about fitting into a genre and more about exploding it from within. For audiences, it’s an invitation into a world where desire cuts deeper than bullets, and where the line between lust and survival is razor-thin.

Please visit https://linktr.ee/overlyhonestr for more reviews.

You can follow me on Letterboxd, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. My social media accounts can also be found on most platforms by searching for 'Overly Honest Reviews'.

I’m always happy to hear from my readers; please don't hesitate to say hello or send me any questions about movies.

[photo courtesy of JJ SPLICE FILMS]

DISCLAIMER:
At Overly Honest Movie Reviews, we value honesty and transparency. Occasionally, we receive complimentary items for review, including DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, Vinyl Records, Books, and more. We assure you that these arrangements do not influence our reviews, as we are committed to providing unbiased and sincere evaluations. We aim to help you make informed entertainment choices regardless of our relationship with distributors or producers.

Amazon Affiliate Links:
Additionally, this site contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may receive a commission. This affiliate arrangement does not affect our commitment to honest reviews and helps support our site. We appreciate your trust and support in navigating these links.