Review of Sam Wineman’s film HAG. A passionate thriller about a gay man and an obsessive female friend who does not wish him entirely well.

What would Fatal Attraction look like if its characters were a gay man and a woman obsessed with him? It is not necessarily a question we had asked ourselves, but one that the film HAG (a reference to the term “Fag Hag,” the equivalent of “Fille à Pédé”) answers.

Bereaved barista and intrusive female friend

We are introduced to the daily life of Rowan (Ryan de Villiers), a handsome barista who dreams of becoming a singer. He is recovering from a difficult period: his partner, whom he had married, has just died in an accident. He finds comfort in his colleagues and female friends. Then, one day, a young woman who works in the same building approaches him and tells him that they know each other. It is Mag (Jane de Wet), a slightly strange but nice girl who happens to be the only girl Rowan has ever kissed in his life, back in middle school. Clearly, Mag has not quite gotten over it…

In the days following their reunion, Mag manages to insinuate herself into Rowan’s daily life and make herself indispensable. She helps him set up his new apartment and, when his shared-housing plan falls through, offers to move in. While Rowan’s entourage views his growing closeness with this socially awkward girl with suspicion, the barista is won over by her little attentions. As the days pass, the tension rises, with Mag proving jealous of Rowan’s other female friends and of his budding relationship with a new guy, Brady (Matthew Vey)…

A low-budget queer thriller, but an unapologetic guilty pleasure

This is clearly a film made on a small budget, and it does not particularly shine in terms of style or direction. But it is also, above all, a big, enjoyable guilty pleasure that delivers everything one expects from an erotic thriller in B-movie mode. The initial idea—a girl obsessed with her gay friend—is amusing and gives rise to original situations. The usual darkness of the genre is blended with some very pleasant camp humour. Poor Rowan has no idea just how crazy the girl he has let into his home really is. In the background, there is a variation on loss and lack of affection. Unpretentious and fun.

Film released in 2025 and available on Tubi in the United States / Unreleased in France (so to watch it, you have to use a VPN or other means)

Other fun gay thrillers to watch

Other fun gay thrillers to watch:
–Twinless
–Saltburn
–Hot Wind