T-Blockers (2023)
Dormant alien parasites are unleashed in a small Australian town after an earthquake. They begin infecting and possessing susceptible locals, including a group of incels, intensifying their hatred and aggression, turning them into violent, zombie-like creatures hellbent on eliminating anyone who isn’t like them. Young trans filmmaker Sophie finds herself caught up in the horror when she and her friends are targeted by the possessed mob.
Written and directed by Alice Maio Mackay, T-Blockers is a spirited, ultralow-budget B-movie that utilises an Invasion of the Body Snatchers-style narrative to explore contemporaneous prejudice and transphobia. What she lacks in budget, Mackay makes up for with a striking sense of style (it’s all neon lighting and retro-wave inspired aesthetics), incisive social observations and scathing humour. Her third feature, T-Blockers exudes a real punk sensibility: anarchic, rebellious, and reminiscent of early John Waters. There are also a few loving/telling references to the creaky cinema of Ed Wood; not least the TV horror host Cryptessa (portrayed by drag artist Etcetera Etcetera), who not only introduces the film, à la Vampira, Elvira and the Amazing Criswell, but appears throughout the narrative to comment on and highlight thematic threads. Her monologues serve to frame the film as a work as fiction, but she also states that it might be more real than you think...
Adding to the film’s diegetic reflexivity, the discovery of a lost film (a film within the film) from the early 1990s by a trans director, reveals a similar invasion had previously occurred. A foreboding undercurrent materialises as news reports heard throughout announce a new law which will classify supporting trans youth as child abuse. Sophie and her friends soon experience a rise in hostile and aggressive encounters – even within their own space (a neon-lit LGBT+ bar) and before long, nowhere feels safe for them. It’s not difficult to see these moments as reflections of the real dangers facing vulnerable minorities – specifically the trans community - in the current hostile political climate, with, for example, the US government eradicating DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) programmes, while actively stoking prejudice and hatred on social media under the guise of free speech.
Like The Thing, The Puppet Masters and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Mackay’s film explores the idea of a threat hiding in plain sight, an idea articulated by Cryptessa when she says not everyone is who they appear to be, meaning deep-rooted intolerance and bigotry can emanate from the most unexpected places, even places close to home. The social commentary is all very on the nose, but Mackay seamlessly weaves everything together, and with irreverent humour and underground sensibility, unveils a powerful message about the necessity of acceptance and tolerance, and how a show of strength in the face of adversity is what’s now needed.
While the story at times feels a little rushed (the film runs at just over 70 minutes), the screenplay takes its time to develop the characters, fleshing them out and allowing us time in their world before everything begins to crumble around them. Some performances are a little shaky, but the leads are exceptionally good, particularly Lauren Last as Sophie, a young transgender woman trying to find her place in the world and kick-start her filmmaking career. Sophie is a fully dimensional character; erratic, fun-loving, vulnerable and stubborn, and it’s not hard to root for her and her friends. Indeed, there are echoes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer afoot when the group of friends form their own Scooby gang to rid their town of the possessed aggressors. While the action scenes are a little clunky, Mackay’s punky DIY approach still manages to charm as it cuts through the gory din.
As mentioned, T-Blockers has a strong viewpoint and something important to say about what it feels like to be trans in today’s current cultural/political climate. When considering the lived experience and struggles of trans people, whose lives are periodically invaded by tabloid-fuelled frenzy and increasingly hostile debates about their very existence, T-Blockers does approach some dark issues, and doesn’t shy away from showing Sophie at her lowest (“what’s the point in knowing who I am when I can’t be who I am?”). Its pluck and anti-conformity mean it’s also a fun, messy, good time.
