I always appreciate a body swapping story and, although feeling very budget and corny in parts, Zerophilia is mostly a good time.
It's a coming of age story with a gender bending twist, as protagonist Luke discovers that he suffers from a rare genetic disorder (zerophilia) that causes him to transform into a woman every time he gets... excited. A pretty good hook and one that is explored decently. I do think there was potential to take the concept a lot further though, with scope for a lot more comedy and also a better exploration of gender. Maybe if this film were made today, where gender expression and sexuality are talked about more openly and freely, it could have had more depth. For the time it was made though, I think it did a pretty good job. It could have been quite offensive and stereotyped and it managed to mostly avoid this. It presents a pretty funny, thought provoking, and at times tender message and story, so overall pretty solid.
The performances weren't necessarily the best but they were all pretty serviceable. Taylor Handley / Marieh Delfino as Luke / Luca were both good, navigating the complex emotions of swapping genders and trying to come to terms with their new reality. Gina Bellman was another highlight, as was Alison Folland. The chemistry between the various iterations of each character was actually pretty good too.
Overall I was quite surprised by this film. It does feel very low budget, particularly in the editing and direction, but actually it is decently entertaining. It has a fun idea which it largely executes well, blending comedy, gender commentary, and relationship drama into a perfectly good film.
