Moffie

Name: Moffie
Genre: Drama, Romance, War
Released: April 9, 2021
Duration: 104 min
Rating: 69
Cast: Barbara-Marié Immelman, Connor Dowds, Emil van Niekerk, Israel Ngqawuza, Kai Luke Brummer

2021

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 7 Ratings

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6.7

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6.7	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 7 Ratings

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Moffie

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Movie Details & Credits

IFC Films | Release Date: April 9, 2021 | NR

Starring: Barbara-Marié Immelman, Connor Dowds, Emil van Niekerk, Israel Ngqawuza, Kai Luke Brummer, Matthew Vey, Michael Kirch, Remano De Beer, Rikus Terblanche, Wynand Ferreira

Summary: The year is 1981 and South Africa’s white minority government is embroiled in a conflict on the southern Angolan border. Like all white boys over the age of 16, Nicholas Van der Swart must complete two years of compulsory military service to defend the apartheid regime. The threat of communism and “die swart gevaar” (the so-called blackThe year is 1981 and South Africa’s white minority government is embroiled in a conflict on the southern Angolan border. Like all white boys over the age of 16, Nicholas Van der Swart must complete two years of compulsory military service to defend the apartheid regime. The threat of communism and “die swart gevaar” (the so-called black danger) is at an all-time high. But that’s not the only danger Nicholas faces. He must survive the brutality of the army – something that becomes even more difficult when a connection is sparked between him and a fellow recruit.… Expand

Director: Oliver Hermanus

Genre(s): Drama, Romance, War

Rating: NR

Runtime: 104 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Cary Darling

Apr 5, 2021

Set amid a group of freshly arrived white army conscripts who will be sent to fight communist guerrillas along the Angolan border in apartheid-era South Africa, it’s a riveting portrait of a particular time and place while also being a broader assault on the type of pressure-cooker masculinity where torture, cruelty, humiliation and racism are the coins of the realm. Read full review

Aparita Bhandari

Apr 7, 2021

The bonds formed in Moffie are complicated, and defy neat resolutions. The viewer is left with many more questions than answers. In that sense, this film is a cautionary tale, a reminder of the stakes of possibly losing our collective humanity. Read full review

IndieWire Ryan Lattanzio

Apr 9, 2021

The way the editing (by Alain Dessauvage and George Hanmer) so gracefully unfolds from present to past suggests a kind of cinematic Proustian madeleine, conjuring how involuntary memories can be jolted again by encounters in the present. Read full review

Robert Abele

Apr 8, 2021

Hermanus, as a Black, queer South African, isn’t about to paint Nicholas’ predicament as on a par with apartheid’s true victims. But the emotional intelligence he infuses Moffie with — all the way through its inevitable march to the front line — feels personal nonetheless, and empathetically inquisitive about the kind of masculine indoctrination that fuels oppression through rituals of violence and the criminalizing of identity. Read full review

Lawrence Garcia

Apr 6, 2021

At its worst, Hermanus’ forceful direction can land with this sort of thudding literality. But befitting its harrowing subject of young men hammered into rigid conformity, Moffie leaves a lasting mark all the same. Read full review

Glenn Kenny

Apr 8, 2021

In depicting the horrific specifics of this particular man’s awful military experience, Hermanus delivers in abundance. Read full review

William Repass

Apr 6, 2021

Oliver Hermanus’s film is a rumination on the consequences of apartheid on those who benefit from it most. Read full review

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User Reviews

katezoe

Apr 11, 2021

Painful coming of age film, being closeted and serving in the military in South Africa during apartheid. A society based on normalizing brutality and hatred.

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Brent_Marchant

Apr 10, 2021

When a closeted gay South African teen (a "moffie" in local derogatory lingo) is conscripted into the military in 1981 to fight encroaching Angolan communists and to enforce the nation's existing apartheid laws, he's not sure how to handle himself. And, unfortunately, neither is directorWhen a closeted gay South African teen (a "moffie" in local derogatory lingo) is conscripted into the military in 1981 to fight encroaching Angolan communists and to enforce the nation's existing apartheid laws, he's not sure how to handle himself. And, unfortunately, neither is director Oliver Hermanus when it comes to telling his story. The film's seemingly solid and ironic premise -- that of someone in a persecuted community having to enforce legally sanctioned discriminatory policies against members of other persecuted constituencies -- should have been enough in itself to drive the narrative of this offering. However, Hermanus frequently goes off point (and, in turn, off the rails) in examining other less engaging tangents, drawing attention away from what should have easily made this picture work best. Odd editing, an inconsistent use of flashbacks, a patchwork of incompatible camera techniques and an almost-corny soundtrack don't help matters, either. To the director's credit, he does a credible job of presenting the extremes of emotion that men are capable of, from horrifically barbaric to eminently sensitive and caring, in large part through homages to movies like "Full Metal Jacket" (1987) and "Brokeback Mountain" (sans cowboys) (2005). But, these few strengths aside, "Moffie" is a major disappointment, and that's regrettable, as this BAFTA-nominated release was something I was truly looking forward to.… Expand

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TVJerry

Apr 15, 2021

There have been movies depicting the brutal treatment of soldiers during training. There have been movies about a secret gay relationship in the military. This film covers both issues. It takes place in 80s South Africa, when the white minority government drafted all boys over 16 to join theThere have been movies depicting the brutal treatment of soldiers during training. There have been movies about a secret gay relationship in the military. This film covers both issues. It takes place in 80s South Africa, when the white minority government drafted all boys over 16 to join the fight to defend apartheid and diffuse the threat of communism. The protagonist (Kai Luke Brummer) watches cruelty on several fronts, while struggling with his own identity and the man he’s come to care about. The majority of the movie is spent showing various characters’ humiliation and fear, while some of the detours and developments seem aimless or abrupt. Brummer’s performance is appropriately subdued, but most of his emotional development comes from his changing haircuts. The heavy-handed ruthlessness that surrounds this story eventually becomes trying and the concluding moments seem abruptly unsatisfying. BTW, the title is South African slang for sissy. (In English and Dutch with subtitles)… Expand

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