Solos

Censored in its native Singapore for its sexual content, Solos is a dark and erotically tense film about emotional isolation and the often selfish nature of love.

A teacher and his precocious male student are involved in an illicit relationship that has gone stagnant. The aging teacher emotionally withdraws from the boy, while the restless boy flaunts his sexual liaisons to injure his lover. Meanwhile, the boy's lonely mother, recovering from an eye surgery, mourns her son's departure and fears he will never return to her.

Directors Lume and Zihan bravely defy traditional story structure, replacing dialogue with highly stylized visual imagery, choreography, and sound design to advance the stark yet stirring drama. Minimal and at times utterly absurd, Solos effectively uses an experimental formal language to create a deeper understanding of human emotion.

Kyle Stephan