17 Jul

21:00

Plein Theater

Sajetplein 39, Amsterdam

Plainclothes is the feature film debut of director Carmen Emmi, set in 1990s New York. An ambitious undercover officer is deployed as bait to entrap gay men, but finds his loyalties tested when he falls for a target.

Plainclothes

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Plainclothes

Plainclothes is the feature film debut of director and screenwriter Carmen Emmi, which had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival 2025. There, the film won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast and was praised for its intensity and emotional depth.

The story is set in 1990s New York, a period when the police actively entrapped and arrested homosexual men. Lucas (Tom Blyth), a young and ambitious undercover officer, is deployed as bait. For him, it is initially a chance to prove himself within the force. But when he meets Andrew (Russell Tovey), everything changes. What begins as a target in a police file grows into a forbidden love that puts Lucas's loyalty, identity, and future at stake.

Their relationship unfolds in a climate of mistrust and constant threat. As his colleagues demand results and Lucas becomes entangled in a double life, his desire grows, and with it, the risk that everything will come to light.

A still from the film Plainclothes

Cast: Maria Dizzia, Russell Tovey, Tom Blyth
Director: Carmen Emmi
Screenplay: Carmen Emmi
Countries: United Kingdom, United States
Language: English
Year: 2025
Length: 95 min