‘Body Blow’ review: Dir. Dean Francis [Fantastic Fest 2025]

Kat Hughes from The Hollywood News

★★★★☆

Fantastic Fest might have a reputation for screening a lot of horror movies, but that isn’t the only genre that the festival celebrates. Whilst a lot of the programme does feature blood, guts and things that go bump in the night, the programming is also seasoned with a sprinkling of action movies and thrillers, ensuring that they cater to a more broad range of clientele. One of those non-horror films that played this year’s festival is Dean Francis’ Body Blow. Rather than horror, Body Blow leans into both the erotic thriller and film noir genres, with an added frisson of action, making it a well rounded feast for those wanting a break from the onslaught of horror titles. 

Body Blow joins young cop Aiden (Tim Pocock) as he is reassigned to a new department. His new position sees him cross paths with male sex worker Cody, and his drag Queen drug lord boss. Unable to pull himself away from Cody (Tom Rodgers), Aiden finds himself sucked deeper into this underground world, and quickly finds himself trapped in the middle of a years-old conspiracy. What Dean Francis manages to do well right from the start, is to infuse Body Blow with a healthy amount of intrigue. Not only is the story a tangled web of theatricality and deception, but the characters, Aiden in particular, are fascinating. Upon first introduction, Aiden is listening to some self-help vodcast that champions the power of both the penis and semen. A little later, it is revealed that Aiden is deliberately trying to hold onto his ‘power’ and has become a pent-up powder keg. 

The meeting of Cody riles Aiden up and it is his yearning for him that drives him down a dark and dangerous path. Rather than other similarly plotted queer stories, Aiden is not in denial about his sexuality, but is determined not to succumb to temptation lest he lose his power. It’s an interesting belief system that is clearly a detriment to Aiden as his lust repeatedly threatens to overthrow his sense of logic. This character point is more of a background element, but it does become Aiden’s driving force and it makes for an interesting lead character, and his erratic behaviour means that even the audience are not sure exactly what he might do at any point. Tim Pocock is excellent in the role, managing to convey Aiden’s hyper masculine outward masking, alongside his more vulnerable insecurities and anxieties. 

Tom Rodgers is equally talented as Cody. His portrayal is one hundred percent mesmeric and seduces the viewer right alongside Aiden. There is an ever so slight tinge of Alabama Worley to the character, and just as Patricia Arquette did with that performance, Rodgers wins the heart of the audience. The character is more of an archetype than Aiden, part carefree spirit, part caged bird, part femme fatale, but the cocktail is potent and the audience are left wanting to know all about this beautifully broken young man.

The chemistry between Pocock and Rodgers is electric, and one could watch the two of them sit and converse quite happily even without the trappings of the rest of the story. A strong chemistry is vital for a story like this to work. Each man is driven by their baser instincts when in each other’s orbits, and a lack of connection between the two would lead to the film falling flat. Their dynamic is similar to that seen in the fantastic Femme, but Body Blow is very much its own creation and is not trying to imitate what has come before. 

Despite the conspiracy aspect of the narrative, Body Blow is far more in tune with an erotic thriller than crime procedural. It is a sub-genre that has been greatly missed, and the queer slant serves to make it even more alluring. Francis never shies away from the gay romance at the heart of Body Blow and the more intimate scenes between Aiden and Cody sizzle to a near explosive level. Francis pushed the eroticism further by bathing everything in seductive neon hues, whisking the viewer away from the humdrum of regular life, to a hazy and romanticised world of colour. The score alternates between elegant synth music, which acts as the beating pulse, and saxophone solos. For some reason, sex and sax have gone hand in hand historically, and they continue to work beautifully together here. 

Complicated characters, a burgeoning romance, and an abundance of lust and pent-up sexual desire bubble away in Body Blow before ultimately exploding on screen. The result is a hypnotic thriller that seduces the audience with ease, whilst still keeping them on edge as they endeavour to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. Featuring vibrant imagery and score, and electric performances from Tim Pocock and Tom Rodgers, Body Blow is a neon-lit marvel. 

Body Blow

Summary

Body Blow is a neon-drenched queer erotic thriller that provides an intoxicating exploration of crime, obsession, and lust.