When Luke (Ben Hardy) stumbles upon a club in the basement of an Indian restaurant, his life changes in an unexpected way. Luke is mesmerised watching Aysha (Jason Patel) dance on stage to a receptive audience and their chemistry is instant. However, things become complicated when Luke realises – post kiss – that Aysha is a drag queen. It is clear that Luke has always perceived himself as straight and this leads him on a journey of self reflection and working out who he is. Unicorns, co-directed by real life partners Sally El Hosaini and James Krishna Floyd, is a tale about fluidity and love above all else, delivered through two phenomenal performances from Hardy and Patel.

Luke is a white, mid-twenties man from Essex. He’s a single father who lives with his Dad and his son, whilst working in his Dad’s car garage. His life is the antithesis of Aysha’s (Ashiq out of drag) who is south Asian from Manchester and works in a shop by day but dances in drag by night for an array of clientele. Aysha is bold and bright in the same way that Luke is reserved and cautious. It is apparent that through his son’s mother leaving, he has been left in an impossible situation and is simply existing rather than living. When Aysha tracks him down (very easily thanks to the internet) she makes him a job offer that on the surface seems to be just about money (Luke is saving to take his son to Disneyland) but as the film unfolds, it becomes a lifeline for Luke to break out the rut he is in and potentially find love.

The film deals with the darker side of Aysha’s reality, she receives death threats regularly and cannot be open with her family due to religious traditions and expectations. Despite being proud of who she is, her safety is not always guaranteed and this film portrays the tension between her London life and her family life in Manchester. Luke is also on a journey, albeit it literally as Aysha’s new driver, he is experiencing a world he was not privy to before and opening himself up to new opportunities and emotions. One of the most moving moments in the film is when Luke invites Aysha to meet his son and they spend the evening at the fairground, almost like a traditional family unit. You can see how much this means to both Luke and Aysha to see how happy the other person is in this moment. 

Unicorns is a tender love story and celebrates the meshing of worlds and cultures despite their difficulties and often uncomfortable moments. Humour is threaded throughout and real life drag queens are featured in the cast which brings an authentic and purposeful meaning to the film. Plus, the sparks between Luke and Aysha are bright enough to warm even the most cynical person’ heart. As Hosaini said during the post screening Q&A – after two people left the room during a sex scene – these stories need and deserve to be told.