Most movies are a passive watch where we sit at home or in a movie theatre and the story unfolds before us. ‘MASC’ from writer/director/producer Bertil Nilsson makes you work. This is by no means a bad thing, but it doesn’t make for a straightforward movie to review, not least because I don’t want to prejudice (or spoiler) anyone’s experience. So, rather than too much on the specifics, be prepared for a fair amount of adjectives.

It certainly helps to read the logline before diving into this movie:

“Desperate to fit in, a young autistic man tries on different roles to understand what kind of man he’s supposed to be.”

‘MASC’ plays out as a theatrical, experimental, almost Mike Leigh/Ken Loach movie with a unique structure that will put you on the back foot and make you wonder where you are with it. Told over a number of scenarios, we follow our lead Robin (played by Joshua Griffin, who also co-wrote the story) as he modifies his look and manner through each of them.  As the pieces slot into place in one scene, another takes its place, and you start again.  It takes a minute to get used to, and I don’t want to suggest this is deliberately obtuse, obscure, or hard to watch because the closer you get to the conclusion, the greater the reward you receive.

This is quite nerdy, but I loved the use of the old broadcast television-like 4:3 aspect ratio rather than the wider screens we’ve become used to in cinema. It provided an intimate feel even in the exterior shots where the setting dominates. Again, it felt very early Mike Leigh in that respect.

Sensitively portraying the many aspects of Robin that include him being autistic, biracial and queer, Joshua’s performance as Robin is impeccable, beautiful, sensitive and physical. The choreography by Harry Price, mainly performed by Joshua but at times by most of the other cast as well, conveys the feelings of the characters perfectly.

I hope this is enough to go on and that people will give this movie a go.  It’s definitely going to require a second watch from me.