In the Name Of

“In the Name Of” is a different kind of film. And frankly, while the film is listed as a queer thriller film and it is quite captivating once the story gets going, I’m struggling to see how exactly it’s a thriller. Even though the film is nearly a decade old now (2013), the storyline of a closeted gay priest falling in love with young boys whom he works with is nothing new. If anything, such a storyline is more common and quite scandalous – as the Catholic Church is still plagued with accusations of just sweeping it under the rug! However, that’s not the approach Co-Writer & Director Malgorzata Szumowska takes. Instead, she approaches the story as something real, a very humanistic approach as she instead deals with the internal and even external struggles & loneliness of repressing one’s sexuality within the confines of the Church and the collar. While Father Adam is naturally transferred yet again after the rumours start, we even get the hint of a possible romance and potential happy ending! I must confess (pun intended!) that the film is slow-paced, and even a bit chaotic at first before the story gets underway. The rough handheld camera also leaves you wanting a bit more… But once the story truly starts to unfold, it is quite captivating. Despite all of this though, I cannot see how “In The Name Of” is a queer thriller film. Give the film a watch and let me know your thoughts!