Reflective Encounters

“Drag superstar Bimini Bon Boulash introduces Hideous to the audience. Dressed as a vamp and wading through the fog, she brings out the camp of old Hammer horrors and video nasties, the artifice of bright red Kensington Gore and budget prosthetics. That aesthetic blends into the matted purple hues of 1980s queer art, the music videos of Derek Jarman or the film work of James Bidgood. It’s the childhood of Oliver Sim, bassist and vocalist for indie band The xx, whose story the film tells.

The short is directed by Yann Gonzalez, known for features including You & The Night and Knife + Heart, as an extended showcase of Sim’s upcoming debut solo album, Hideous Bastard. As the songs in this glam horror musical reveal, Sim has been living with HIV since the age of seventeen, and the film is about navigating acceptance of his condition within the queer community. 

With a starry supporting cast of gay icons like Jimmy Somerville alongside Sim’s bandmates, Hideous is a glorious celebration of queer euphoria while also delivering a clear message about HIV/AIDS. Gonzalez crafts a stunning visual contextualisation for Sim’s music, putting the spotlight firmly on him and the story he wants to tell.”

— Lillian Crawford