Layla

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Layla

2024

1h 40m

Comedy

Drama

LGBTQ+

Romance

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95%

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22 Reviews

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Layla is a struggling British-Palestinian drag performer whose confident façade hides their desperate desire for love. When their performance at a belittling corporate Pride event turns into a transgressive takedown, they are surprised to win the affection of Max, a charming, successful white gay man who is bewitched by Layla's power on stage. It sparks a thrilling romance from across the aisles of the LGBTQ+ community, as both Layla and Max negotiate how desire and identity can sometimes collide.

Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

Layla has found their tribe -- and it’s here that first-time director Amrou Al-Kadhi, also a drag artist, excels, capturing the sparkling, sensual spectacle of the queer club circuit.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 25, 2024

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Mark Kermode

Kermode and Mayo's Take (YouTube)

[Layla] uses a very enticing screen sensibility to tell a story that has depth, clearly told from a very personal point of view.

Nov 24, 2024

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

I couldn’t help feeling that in the end the film could have done more to acknowledge the complexity of Max’s heartbreak, but it’s carried by a winning performance from Hasna.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 22, 2024

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Victoria Luxford

City AM

a bold London-based story that looks at the way we love right now, in a manner that will be relatable no matter your pronouns.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 21, 2024

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Emma Simmonds

The List

It demonstrates the warm embrace that can be provided by a chosen family, alongside the judgements that exist within the Queer community itself, and highlights the devastating loss of nightlife venues which bring marginalised people together.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 8, 2024

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

Layla is an energetic fiction about the titular London native...

Oct 24, 2024

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Amrou Al-Kadhi

Director

Bilal Hasna

Actor

Louis Greatorex

Actor

Safiyya Ingar

Actor

Darkwah

Actor

Terique Jarrett

Actor

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Love, Simon

92%

87%

Love, Simon

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Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga

71%

65%

Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga

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Bonus Track

86%

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Bonus Track

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Dear Ex

90%

85%

Dear Ex

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Spark

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Spark

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Synopsis

Layla is a struggling British-Palestinian drag performer whose confident façade hides their desperate desire for love. When their performance at a belittling corporate Pride event turns into a transgressive takedown, they are surprised to win the affection of Max, a charming, successful white gay man who is bewitched by Layla's power on stage. It sparks a thrilling romance from across the aisles of the LGBTQ+ community, as both Layla and Max negotiate how desire and identity can sometimes collide.

Director: Amrou Al-Kadhi
Producer: Savannah James-Bayly
Screenwriter: Amrou Al-Kadhi, Amrou Al-Kadhi
Production Co: British Film Institute, AUM Group, Film4
Genre: Comedy, Drama, LGBTQ+, Romance
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 40m