Cherri: Depths of Despair | BFI Flare 2026

This was my last screening at BFI Flare 2026, and it was by far the boldest and most devastating, but in a very unique way. There is no rise or fall, but an intimate display of a cycle of suffering - and a comment on how we seek out what we feel we deserve, not what is good for us.

Cherri is centred around the titular character, who is an obese ballet choreographer for his weight loss clinic's performance. He is isolated from many, navigating a crippling infatuation for a young security guard while being the primary caregiver for his disabled husband. We follow Cherri through this poignant character study, as he is rejected time and again by the security guard and left with self-loathing in his big, empty house. This melancholic film utilises a sad tone to explore reliance, repressed sexuality, and the need to move on for the better.

This film was nothing like I expected. From the first scene, you are embedded in this greasy, salacious world, one that I personally found hard to watch but also deeply intriguing. It challenges an idealistic view of the world, attempting to bring light to darker routines and inescapable self-loathing. It is emotionally bold, using as little dialogue as possible, forcing an audience to sit with the silence, perhaps trying to reflect what Cherri feels on a daily basis.

The style of filming is a strong support for this film, creating a personal atmosphere that breaks the distance between the characters and the audience. It follows Cherri throughout, maintaining this bond and leaving little to the imagination. He is a complex character, but the evidence of poor mental health simply makes you more empathetic towards him. He chases what is bad for him, a feverdream of what "could be", " to the extent of people who truly care for him. As so perfectly put by the BFI Flare team's synopsis, we see how his view of emotion is "shaped by the world around him".

The little Cherri knows of passion, love, doubt, and freedom is from his experiences. He works to care for his disabled husband, whose accident removed the company and laughter from his house. He longs for a connection from the manipulative boy, yet it hurt time and time again. Cherri, however, is not without support - the leader of the weight loss clinic and his friend reach for him, but without effort on his end, there is little they can do.

Cherri is a deeply compassionate and heartbreaking film, taking an entirely unique angle on deep-rooted homophobia and accepting our lots in life. We see no fight for change, no hopeful growth, but the power of sorrow. Sorrow absorbs the life of a man who cannot learn to love what is good for him, or to overpower the thrill of desire.