Joyland
As the rating shows, I deeply connected to Joyland. It’s definitely among the best films from the current decade.
With that said, I truly believe that it could’ve been my favorite from this decade if more thematic attention was given to Bibi.
Within a patriarchal society, trans women’s decision to embrace their identity is fundamentally a revolutionary one. Their entire existence serves the rejection of the demonization of femininity—completely stripping themselves of their masculine role and denouncing the perceived inferiority of women within this structure.
I loved Joyland, but I can’t help to think that Bibi had a bigger role to play within the film’s ideological and thematic framework. I don’t believe that she should’ve been the core focus nor did I want her to be. Her role simply should’ve been more than Haider’s object of exotic desire. Still have him be this confused chaser, I really don’t think that this should’ve been a love story in the traditional sense. Just… shift things around a little. Center the focus on the core statement of the piece rather than attempting to chase all of these loose ideas.
Nevertheless, this was a fantastic debut because… it made me dream. It’s unfocused and doesn’t really fully come together, but I clearly see how Saim Sadiq can grow. This man is gonna make one of my favorite films someday. I can’t wait to see what he has to say next.