Sebastian

Play trailer

1:56

Sebastian

2024

1h 50m

Drama

LGBTQ+

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

76%

Tomatometer

62 Reviews

69%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

Max (Ruaridh Mollica) is a 25-year-old aspiring novelist, living in London and paying his dues working at a literary magazine. Frustrated by his own ambitions and the pressures to succeed, Max begins moonlighting as a sex worker with the pseudonym Sebastian, secretly meeting men via an escorting platform and using his experiences to fuel his stories. What begins as a few furtive meetings soon becomes a hidden nocturnal life, and the debut novel that he has been longing to write finally seems within reach. Finding himself more comfortable as Sebastian than expected, yet determined to keep his exploits a secret, Max increasingly struggles to remain in control of a delicately balanced double-life. As he confronts conflicting feelings of ecstasy, shame, and exhilarating liberation, Max has to reckon with whether Sebastian is merely a writer's tool to achieve first-hand authenticity -- or whether something more is at stake.

Critics Consensus

Mollica compels as a young man caught between two lives and his performance elevates Sebastian, a provocative if uneven story that explores an artist's quest to find inspiration and authenticity in the name of art.

Read Critics Reviews

Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

04/07/2025

4/5

It’s tender, thoughtful film-making from Finnish director Mikko Mäkelä, exploring the bond between two men separated by generations but joined by literature and love.

Go to Full Review

Marina Ashioti

Little White Lies

04/03/2025

2/5

Sebastian gradually transforms into something more substantial when reaching towards a point about the cross-generational relaying of queer histories, but ultimately is too preoccupied with constructing a shallow character study.

Go to Full Review

Phil Hoad

Guardian

04/02/2025

3/5

With the film partly caught in this self-referentiality, it doesn’t develop much beyond a vague treatise on the cost of pseudonymous exploitation. At least the director’s identification with his lead character results in a strong performance from Mollica.

Go to Full Review

Gavin Spoors

FILMHOUNDS Magazine

Aug 4

3/5

Sebastian is still worth a watch, especially when the film's best moments truly do shine.

Go to Full Review

Kevin Fallon

The Daily Beast

Jun 11

It’s a movie that I love to recommend because there’s so much to talk about. (Plus, a lot of it is really hot!).

Go to Full Review

Ben Turner

The Pink Lens

May 11

5/5

Freud would have had a field day with this drama, but for the rest of us, it’s entertaining, intelligently complex and also indelibly sexy. A must-watch.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Cristal

08/13/2024

I liked the movie. Maybe a bit too long.

See more

david m

08/10/2024

I really enjoyed this film. It took me by surprise. I wasn't sure what it was going to be about. But it turned out to be such a great experience. It's hard to find films like this especially with queer Cinema. But this was such a great story and it was really well written. And the acting was very good and the way it was shot was beautiful. I was moved. Highly recommend for audiences seeking out good queer cinema.

See more

Efrem M

@GloryBe Jul 14

One of the best movies I've seen recently. Interesting subject. Good acting and storytelling. Definitely worth it.

See more

Robson C

@RT82519826 04/13/2025

Max é um jovem de 25 anos, jornalista freelancer a aspirante a escritor, que está escrevendo um romance sobre profissionais do sexo na era digital. Para isso, ele cria uma nova identidade, Sebastian, e oferece seus serviços em sites e aplicativos de relacionamento. Aos poucos, esta vida dupla ameaça tanto sua vida profissional quanto a criada para Sebastian. Max, quando na pele de Sebastian, é um misto de vergonha, sedução, excitação e medo, ao adentrar a vida de um profissional do sexo. E Max não consegue separar estes dois lados da sua vida, o que vai o prejudicando profissionalmente dos dois lados: atrasando entregas na revista onde trabalha ou para a editora do seu livro ou o medo de encontrar com algum cliente enquanto está como Max, E ele vai se viciando em seu lado Sebastian: além do dinheiro que ganha, está o tesão e as aventuras que surgem, onde rola muito sexo, drogas e álcool. O protagonista, Ruaridh Mollica, faz um excelente trabalho como Max e a dualidade que o seu personagem está passando. Como Max, ele não consegue marcar um encontro com um garoto de programa. Como Sebastian, ele recebe propostas para viagens ao exterior. Talvez um ponto falho no roteiro seja não apresentar o lado negativo da vida de um garoto de programa, que só acontece quase no final do filme. Pode ser que haja profissionais do sexo, tanto homens quanto mulheres, que nunca passaram por perrengue nenhum, mas acaba soando que essa é uma profissão tranquila, o que não é verdade.

See more

Michael S

@RT84135932 04/03/2025

Wasn’t sure about the movie at first, but the riveting performance of Mollica was brilliant. Did not know this actor and see quite a future for him. His solemn and introspective battle with the “research” was heart-wrenching. A definite must-see movie.

See more

Richard F

@RT59047542 01/21/2025

A very moving take on the love connections made by a rent boy, Sebastian, who brings a good heart to his second income. It's both moving and it also moves. Quite an eye opener. Reminds me of a friend long ago who used to hustle in the 60s. He protested, "Hustlers get a bad rap. They provide a closeness people need and can't get anywhere else."

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Mikko Mäkelä

Director

Ruaridh Mollica

Max

Hiftu Quasem

Amna

Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson

Daniel

Lara Rossi

Claudia

Leanne Best

Dionne

Blue Jean

96%

91%

Blue Jean

Watchlist

Tu me manques

100%

74%

Tu me manques

Watchlist

Jump, Darling

93%

84%

Jump, Darling

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Jump, Darling

Queens of the Qing Dynasty

84%

%

Queens of the Qing Dynasty

Watchlist

You Can Live Forever

91%

79%

You Can Live Forever

Watchlist

TRAILER

for You Can Live Forever

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Sebastian: Trailer 1

1:56

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Max (Ruaridh Mollica) is a 25-year-old aspiring novelist, living in London and paying his dues working at a literary magazine. Frustrated by his own ambitions and the pressures to succeed, Max begins moonlighting as a sex worker with the pseudonym Sebastian, secretly meeting men via an escorting platform and using his experiences to fuel his stories. What begins as a few furtive meetings soon becomes a hidden nocturnal life, and the debut novel that he has been longing to write finally seems within reach. Finding himself more comfortable as Sebastian than expected, yet determined to keep his exploits a secret, Max increasingly struggles to remain in control of a delicately balanced double-life. As he confronts conflicting feelings of ecstasy, shame, and exhilarating liberation, Max has to reckon with whether Sebastian is merely a writer's tool to achieve first-hand authenticity -- or whether something more is at stake.

Director: Mikko Mäkelä
Producer: James Robert Benjamin Watson
Screenwriter: Mikko Mäkelä
Distributor: Kino Lorber
Production Co: Lemming Film België, Finnish Impact Film Fund, Helsinki Filmi Oy, Good Chaos, Barry Crerar, Bêtes Sauvages
Genre: Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 2, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 1, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA): $64.5K
Runtime: 1h 50m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

Most Popular at Home Now