🎬 Sodom (2017)
⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5 – Bold, intimate, and unexpectedly tender – a one-night encounter that unpacks masculinity, fear, and desire)
Sodom (2017) is a slow-burning, emotionally charged drama that unspools in real time over the course of a single night—but what unfolds is nothing short of transformative. Directed by Mark Wilshin, the film is a minimalist triumph, combining raw vulnerability with psychological tension in a powerful two-hander that lingers long after the final frame.
🇩🇪 Plot Summary:
Will, a closeted British footballer on the brink of a high-profile wedding, wakes up disoriented and hungover in a strange Berlin apartment. The man beside him—Michael, a free-spirited German local—has no intention of letting him leave without facing the emotional storm brewing inside. As the hours pass and night deepens, walls fall, secrets surface, and a chance hookup becomes something far more dangerous and intimate.
From casual teasing to intense philosophical debate to the unspoken ache of regret and longing, Sodom captures a portrait of two very different men confronting their own identities, histories, and fears—one aching to escape his reality, the other having already burned it down.
🎭 Performances:
The film rests entirely on the chemistry and talent of its two leads—and both deliver. Pip Brignall (Will) brings aching internal conflict to the screen, embodying the quiet terror of someone running from himself. Jo Weil (Michael) is effortlessly charismatic, drawing Will—and the viewer—into his world of unapologetic honesty. Their emotional push-pull is mesmerizing, even when little is said.
🎬 Direction & Style:
Wilshin’s direction is tight and intimate—often using close-ups and natural lighting to turn glances into confessions and silence into dialogue. The Berlin apartment becomes a character in itself: a space where time warps, walls feel like witnesses, and vulnerability is inescapable.
🌈 Themes & Impact:
Sodom is less about sexuality and more about shame, self-denial, and the limits we place on ourselves out of fear. It strips away artifice and poses difficult questions: Can one night really change a life? And how much truth can we survive when it comes from a stranger?
💬 Final Verdict:
With its stripped-down style, fearless performances, and emotionally naked storytelling, Sodom is a quietly devastating film. What starts as a random encounter evolves into a confrontation with self—one that’s brave, messy, and deeply human. It’s a film that whispers, then roars.
