Hi hello I’M HERE WITH IMPORTANT NEWS. Did you know Maya Hawke and Victoria Pedretti star in a short film where they are GAY together? I sure did not. Or if I did, I apparently blacked out about it because when I read this news I almost passed out. Those are two very talented actresses who have played two of my favorite queer characters in all of sci-fi history in Stranger Things and The Haunting of Bly Manor respectively. And now, like some kind of fanfic come true, they are starring opposite each other in The Non-Actor, an 18-minute short film that made the rounds at film festivals last year. It is loosely based on Eliza Callahan’s novel “The Hearing Test,” which was written by the director and writer of the short film as well.
The Non-Actor is about a woman named Elliot (Victoria Pedretti) who is staying with her ex’s new girlfriend (Maya Hawke) after experiencing some hearing loss and they grow…close. If you know what I mean. Many reviews on Letterboxd comment on the chemistry between the two actresses and I sure do believe it.
And see it we shall! The Non-Actor will be available on Mubi on July 10. In the meantime, you can watch the trailer on YouTube, which is a (very) short clip, but already teases the dynamic between the two women and also the sound design used to express Elliot’s hearing loss progression. I, for one, can’t wait for this.
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+ You can also read my review of the series, which I found much gayer and more delightful than I was expecting
+ Comedian Catherine McCafferty credits “Shakespeare and Shane” as important media that helped her understand her identity and queerness and she’s so real for that
+ Reality show I Kissed a Girl isn’t ALL lesbian drama…it is also having some conversations about gender and being nonbinary!
+ If you do want a breakdown of the drama and specifics though, we’ve got you covered there, too
+ Melissa Etheridge gave an on-the-counter TikTok performance of I’m the Only One
+ WNBA stars Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman aka the StudBudz are helping make the league a more welcoming space for queer people
+ Margaret Cho announces upcoming projects by way of Madonna-inspired photo shoot as all announcements should be made
+ Want to see abs so chiseled they almost look fake? Look no further than Elliot Page’s boxing posts
+ Tubi’s new film Summer’s Last Resort dropped — the premise isn’t queer but it has queer-adjacent vibes all over it; for example, it stars Sophia Bush, and was written by Wynonna Earp’s Emily Andras (and is directed by Wynonna herself, Melanie Scrofano)
