Runs in the Family

Totally stumbled onto this film by accident, but it is such a sweet little gem.

I'm in Canada, so I'm not sure what LGBTQ+ culture is like in South Africa. But I hope more people in and out of the community see Runs In The Family.

I absolutely adore the dedication that single father, Varun, had for River, his transgender son. He loves him no matter who River is and will ... and does do anything for him as the story progresses.

The film has a lot of heart on a lot of different levels, that many can relate to, even if they aren't part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Written by Gabe Gabriel, who also plays River, I can't wait to see what else they come up with down the road.

I watched this movie without knowing anything about it really and therefore didn't expect much. It seemed like a fun little "low budget" movie at first, but ended up being a really decent wholesome movie with many touching moments and a surprisingly big twist at the end. It touched on a lot of sensitive topics, father & transgender son relationship, gender identity, abandoned child, single father, a mom that didn't want to be a mom, etc... Considering the movie packed so many sensitive topics into one movie, plus it not being a huge Hollywood production budget movie, the filmmakers did a good job. The acting isn't superb but good enough for me. Decent movie to stumble upon.

This movie is one of the best South African queer films I've watched.

It starts off in Cape Town with River, a young trans man who needs to win a drag competition to raise R50 000 for his top surgery. The father, however, drags him on a cross-country road trip to get his mother out of rehab, just a few days before the competition, which sets the scene for the rest of the movie to unfold.

The acting, scripting, and videography is just superb. The plot is neat yet complex, highly entertaining, soulful, and full of life lessons, without being corny or cliché. It's a beautiful movie about family, love, authenticity, father-son relationships, and bravery.

Please watch it.