A Review of Night Stage - Leeds International Film Festival

While a triumph in visual pleasure, Filipe Matzembacher’s and Marcio Reolon’s Night Stage left much to be desired on the narrative front. It had potential to go much further, tipping towards something I hoped would leave me thrilled and satisfied, yet moments of brilliance seemed to only exist as glimpses, fizzling out into an ending that - while bold - still left me wanting more.

Night Stage centres on theatre performer Mateo (Gabriel Faryas). While competing against his castmate and roommate Fabio (Henrique Barreira) for a role in an upcoming TV show, Mateo enters a complex relationship with Rafael (Cirillo Luna), who happens to be running for mayor. With both Mateo and Rafael existing within the public eye, their relationship ends up being confined to specific spaces and hidden places; this becomes even more difficult when it is revealed that the couple have a fetish for public sex.

The couple’s desires partnered with their public appearances creates an interesting tension. On one hand, these two gay men are encouraged to conform to heteronormative expectations, yet they enact the usually private act of sex within the public gaze. It could be seen that the repression of their desire for each other and of their true identity in everyday contexts eventually bubbles over, spilling out into risky, dimly lit settings. In these low-key lit settings, spotlights and harsh lighting are always casted onto the couple, fulfilling the film’s appropriate title. With the pressure of performance in both profession and public eye, the greatest act of rebellion is to engage with the most private act within a public setting.

However, that’s where the film's bold moves start and end. It has all the successful ingredients for an erotic thriller, potentially something psychologically gripping. Yet for me, it felt like once the nature of their fetish had been established, it fizzled out into repetitive sequences of the couple’s escapades. Danger is at the heart, but the film itself didn’t feel dangerous enough, taking limited or bizarre risks that sometimes felt out of place.

Despite its narrative faults, I do have to give the film credit for its visuals. Lighting and colour played a huge role within the film, with the contrast of nightfall against bright streetlights and police sirens depicting the risk of being seen by the outside world. One scene that stuck with me is when Rafael is at Mateo’s flat. You first assume they’re at a nightclub based on the bass-driven music and harsh red lighting. What they’re doing is replicating the public sphere within their private sphere. They’re well aware of the implications of being spotted together in public, and what’s interesting is when, and where, they choose to care about this danger.

Right after leaving the flat (or makeshift nightclub) because Fabio returns home, they then engage in an act of public sex, hidden behind a car as a family passes by. It’s a movie full of contradictions, perhaps caused by the frustration towards existing as a queer person within the public eye and in the world altogether. Their identity exists within two extremes: the extreme of keeping everything hidden, and the extreme of baring all to the world.

As mentioned, I really enjoyed the striking colours and compositions created. Mateo often sports red clothing, a literal embodiment of danger, risk and temptation as he first meets Rafael. The bodily sequences shown by the theatre performers are full of beautiful expression, leaving me genuinely invested in the end result of their show. However, that was the extent of my investment with the characters. Certain fates were shocking but not necessarily moving. I do understand that an erotic thriller isn’t necessarily going to be brimming with emotion, yet I felt little tension and the only thing leaving me gripped to the screen was the stunning visual elements.

Night Stage is satisfying for the eyes, and does raise some interesting questions, but I can’t help but feel like it could have gone further. There are many things to admire about this film and its themes, and despite its lacking narrative, it certainly succeeds in its formal elements. But there was room for even more risk, even more tension, and a more fulfilling narrative trajectory.

The film is not yet available on streaming services, but definitely go and watch Night Stage if you get the opportunity, even if just for the cinematography (Luciana Baseggio) and lighting alone.

Leeds International Film Festival (LIFF) is held in November and showcases a range of diverse, international films across cinemas in Leeds. Thank you to LIFF for the opportunity to attend this film screening!

Words by Amelia Ritchie, she/her