Lately, there have been a lot of movies that tackle LGBT characters and stories: A Fantastic Woman, Kokomo City Passages, and Down Low come to mind. The latest LGBT story is from director Lily Lady, who also stars in the lead role, Sam’s World, following a young non-binary sex worker living with a secret and not knowing how to break it to their lover Rex.

Sam (Lily Lady) is a young twenty-something non-binary sex worker trying to navigate their life in New York City on one summer weekend. They live with their lover, Rex (Annie Conolly), who works from home. They have a nice New York apartment, go to a local diner to hang out with their friends, and occasionally like to visit the beach. 

This is a modern story of how an LGBT relationship isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. These two main characters seemingly live a happy life, but if you look between the cracks, they have problems. They mostly enjoy each other’s company, but an undercurrent of annoying behavior has set in for the pair. How one doesn’t eat very much and how the other takes care of the one being Sam. Sam doesn’t seem like they want to help themself. They just rely on Rex’s love and care without reciprocating.

I found this was a one-sided relationship. The movie is trying to say Sam is dealing with difficulty with their sexuality and the secret she’s hiding, but I found them selfish and jealous in their behavior. Rex seemed like a nice girl. If I were in the shoes of this person, I would be more understanding for what she is doing for me. I would go get a job to help provide for myself and help pay for things equally in the relationship. 

The twist in the story is never mentioned but alluded to in a scene in a bathroom at a restaurant. This leads to Sam being standoffish and argumentative towards Rex. If I were in Rex’s shoes, I’d want to be with someone else or away from Sam. Especially with the job she does, that’s technically illegal. Anybody in her shoes wouldn’t like what Sam is doing or how she’s acting. I just can’t put my finger on why she would make such a one-sided film.

Even though the director plays the title character, they should be more conscious of how the character is perceived by those watching the film. Maybe,  this is an autobiographical story. Who knows? I found myself siding with the Rex character in this story. Was I supposed to? What is the point? I still haven’t figured that out yet. I did care about these people, though.

2 stars

Dan Skip Allen