Shortbus (2006)

Netflix’s The Sandman is the talk of the fantasy-heads town this week. After waiting for almost a decade when a film adaptation of the graphic novel had been announced in 2013 starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, on August 5th, 2022, fans of Neil Gaiman and his graphic novel finally got a screen adaptation on Netflix. The ten-episode-long first season of The Sandman has some changes from the source material, but Gaiman was closely involved with the production, and I for one didn't find anything to complain about. On top of the stunning visuals which are often literal recreations from page to screen, the cast has done an amazing job of both looking like their characters and also, acting like them and delivering their lines like you’d imagine them to if you read the graphic novels.

For those unaware, this isn’t the first Gaiman work to be adapted for TV. His famous novel American Gods is a Starz Original series that has sadly been canceled. Another fan favorite, Good Omens, is an Amazon Original limited series. Good Omens has a bit of a debate about queer-baiting with some claiming it’s frustratingly queer-baiting and others saying it’s proper representation. However, American Gods is very openly gay with unapologetic scenes addressing their LGBTQ+ status whether verbally or visually. I’m happy to report that The Sandman is similar to American Gods in this respect!

The very first episode introduces us to Roderick Burgess (Charles Dance of Game of Thrones fame) and his son Alex Burgess (Laurie Kynaston, also known for Cradle to Grave). Kynaston plays Alex as an adult, but even through his younger version, we get hints of him being gay. The camera smartly but sensitively drops hints of how this kid perceives men and sexualizes them in his own way. There are pauses on the lips, the hands, or the torso of the younger and more traditionally attractive men who Alex encounters. However, as if to clear the lingering doubt in viewers’ minds, an older version of Alex shows up with a boyfriend, and we’re even shown that in their old age, they’re a gay couple.

The first character I want to mention of course is Desire (Mason Alexander Park). They’re a non-binary character in the graphic novels, and not only are they so in the series too but they’re played by an openly non-binary actor! Representation behind the screen has been missing much longer than it has on screen, and I’m so happy that Mason has been cast as Desire because like some others out there, they found themselves in fiction through Desire from the graphic novels. Desire’s lair is also extremely comic-accurate, and the bold red décor is in itself a statement. They wear heels, a tight leather dress, and have long nails—the typical appearance of a "temptress", but there’s nothing typical about them. A true embodiment of desire should be ambiguous to embody all kinds of desire, and I feel like the look and body language that Mason has adopted for the role fits that definition.