Support Trans art, PLEASE watch She’s the He

The last few years, especially 2026, have been really interesting times for movies. We have larger scale movies disappointing financially as audiences reject the latest movie ‘products’ in favor of works that are original or creatively satisfying. Avatar 3 underperformed and didn’t get close to breaking records like the first one did, Supergirl was not a slam dunk (even though the discourse about it was far worse than the film deserved, because of misogyny), the live action adaptation of Moana has thankfully been a major flop. We even had a Star Wars movie come out with a whimper and no impact on pop culture whatsoever! Honestly at this point, the looming presence of Avengers Doomsday feels like a threat rather than something I’m excited for, even though I’m trying so hard to be optimistic. 

No wonder there’s such enthusiasm for the likes of Obsession and Backrooms, films that have smaller budgets created by passionate filmmakers who have been honing their craft on a micro scale before giving the opportunity to make stunning debuts. There is one film released this year that belongs in that group. It deserves so much more attention, but for obvious reasons it won’t get it. It’s one of my favorite films of all time and it holds a very special place in my heart: She’s the He.

Written and directed by Siobhan McCarthy who is non-binary, where all of the cast and crew are either non-binary, trans, or queer; She’s the He is an independent release that you may not have heard of. There are limited screenings across America, but it is also available now to rent or buy online for around $5 or $10, respectively. The reason I’m writing this and you are reading this is because it’s really fucking good. 

Alex and Ethan are 2 best friends getting ready to graduate high school, and they’re sick of everybody thinking that they’re a gay couple. They hatch a stupid plan to dress as trans women so people stop thinking they’re gay, which leads to one of them realizing that she is actually trans. That’s all I’m going to tell you about the plot, it’s hysterically funny and may make you cry multiple times. It’s the most I have felt represented by a piece of media so the dramatic moments hit particularly hard for me. 

The thing I love most about this movie is how it twists the concept of gender like a pretzel, most of the roles are played by non-binary or trans people and it really points out how absurd the whole gender divide/debate is. I highly recommend this interview with the director for their insight into the film and the nuances of gender being explicitly and subtly explored. The fact that the initial plot device is “boys pretending to be trans to get into the girl’s locker room”, and it’s handled with care and questions the idea of gender segregation to begin with is a fascinating and admirable tight-rope act. You don’t need to have taken a gender studies class to appreciate the film, but I love that you can read into it as deeply as you want. 

The performances are great across the board, the editing is fantastic with plenty of bathroom graffiti-esque drawings overlaid representing the thoughts of the characters, and it has a lot of laughs. You can tell that everyone had a lot of fun and were passionate about making this movie, which I think is one of the highest compliments you can give a piece of media. The subject matter may be heavy and politically fraught, but it is nimbly handled in a way that is clearly laughing with trans people, and against the bullshit scrutiny and policing of gender that we ALL have to deal with. I just wish I could send it back in time to my younger self, she really could have benefited from seeing characters like her on screen. 

If you are looking for a queer comedy that will make you laugh heartily and fall in love with its characters, please please please watch She’s the He. It’s available to buy or rent at Letterboxd, Apple TV (might be part of the subscription? Not sure), Prime Video, and Google Play; with limited screenings across America, you can keep updated through the movie’s instagram. I have no financial interest in this film, I just need more trans art in the world. 

If you want to make a double feature out of it, I would pair this with Bottoms - a similarly queer high school comedy about ‘loser lesbians’ which I adore (it also may have subconsciously led to me choosing Hazel as my name).

When you have watched She’s the He, please review it on imdb, it’s getting review bombed by the typical fucking losers. And they call US Snowflakes…

What are your favorite queer/trans films? Let me know in the comments below this article!