Screening as part of the love strand of the 64th London Film Festival, Cicada is the ravishing feature directorial debut from Matthew Fifer and Kieran Mulcare. The film tells the story of Ben, a young bisexual man (played by Fifer himself) in New York City dealing with his inner demons and on a reckless path of self-destruction. His world begins to fall into shape as he meets and falls in love with Sam (played by an equally astounding Sheldon D. Brown). As the outside world exerts its pressure into their bliss, tensions rise and love is tested to its limits.
To begin to appreciate the artistry and craftsmanship behind Cicada is to first and foremost acknowledge the talents of Fifer; a triple threat of co-director, writer, and lead actor here. Fifer pulls off a heartbreaking performance delving into the depths of a man who has nothing but loss, regret, and hopelessness but is given a chance to make resolve with the past just as Sam emerges into his life.
The film presents Ben in many ways as the human equivalent of the titular insect, a cicada. Lying dormant for 17 years and emerging from the ground in a subtly delicate fashion, so too does the tragic mundanity of Ben’s existence blossom into a celebration of what it means to be alive and in love. Fifer and Mulcare’s direction never fails to mesmerize, the camera may as well be capturing a cicada shedding its skin and flourishing. Such is the powerful draw of Fifer’s performance. Mirroring Fifer is Sheldon D. Brown, playing the quiet-tempered, resolute Sam; complimenting the electric magnetism of Ben.
Cicada at its core explores what it means to be a bisexual man caught in the middle of societal pressures to subscribe to other people’s idea of dating; in the opening scenes alone we witness his sexuality being questioned openly by another character. It is that tug of war between what’s expected and his true identity that has ripped the fabric of Ben’s inner peace into shreds. Shreds that Sam arrives just in time to help mend.
But make no mistake, this is not simply a hero-saves-the-day narrative. If anything, Sam is just as broken and bruised by the world, making their pairing one that exudes defiance and resilience in the face of outside judgment and intolerance. Fifer and Mulcare’s nuanced construction of two characters that not only celebrate bisexuality but the black queer experience is something that will inevitably leave an indelible mark on the viewer.
Cicada does not come without its flaws however. Momentarily, overlooking the powerhouse performances will reveal a patchy narrative that initially fails to take off in the way it should. For instance, in comparison with landmark love stories on the screen, Cicada fails to make a perfect landing with the initial meeting of the two leads. The scene is somewhat melodramatic and unfortunately lacking the energy that the rest of the movie delivers.
Overall, Cicada is a finely tuned romance that tugs at the heart and barrels into the cinematic void of bisexual representation on screen with an electric cast and a devastating script to match. Just as the cicada emerges in its quiet magnificence after years underground, maybe then so too will equitable queer representation grow in cinema to delight and inspire as this movie does.
