Stuff

Stuff is a terrible name for a movie. It’s uninteresting, generic and forgettable. Though maybe that makes it a perfect title for this movie as the movie itself is uninteresting, generic and forgettable.

Stuff is a domestic drama focusing on lesbian married couple, Deb and Trish and their two young daughters. Trish works as a dentist and is the primary breadwinner while Deb does most of the child care. Five years ago, Trish’s father died and since then, their relationship has been strained by a lack of communication. Deb is frustrated that Trish prioritizes work over family and her elderly mother over Deb and the kids. These problems are exacerbated when Deb begins a friendship with Jamie, a single mother and aspiring tattoo artist. As Deb and Jamie grow closer, Deb and Trish grow further apart.

The thesis and motivation for Stuff seems to be essentially, equality. The plot is basically, “See? Lesbian couples can have standard domestic problems too!” And sure, of course they can and there’s certainly a place for these stories to be told. But Stuff takes it too far. This is one of those queer movies that spends so much effort trying to normalize its queer characters that it ends up being boring. None of the domestic problems in the film are things I would care to see heterosexual characters deal with. The same holds true for a same-sex couple. There have been successful depictions of domestic breakdowns but this isn’t one of them. It needs more melodrama and over the top moments. Instead, it feels extremely pedestrian.

Really, the blandness of the film is all there really is to talk about. Stuff is a forgettable film. It’s even bland to look at. Deb and Trish both look sort of the same except for different haircuts. And their style and the film’s aesthetic as a whole prioritizes neutral colours and a lot of greys. It’s boring to look at.

I’m giving Stuff a marginal passing grade because it was essentially competent but there’s really nothing here. I don’t even have anything to talk about in this review. The film is just bland and boring. Sure, the representation of a domestic queer couple and the fact that they don’t experience and sexuality-based discrimination is good, but that doesn’t make it interesting. If you want to watch a lesbian movie that’s also super dull, that’s the only way I would see myself recommending Stuff. And that title is still the absolute worst.

Overall rating: 5.1/10

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