Steve McQueen’s follow-up to the award winning Hunger again stars Michael Fassbender, this time as Brandon, a New York executive addicted to sex and pornography.
Unable to forge relationships with women beyond a series of one night stands, Brandon struggles to hold his superficially successful life together in the face of his sexually articulated self-loathing.
Consumed by a desire to control those around him at the expense of any emotional connection, he finds himself struggling with a sexual addiction which threatens to overwhelm his professional life.
The film probes whether his empty professional existence, while a superficial anchor and source of material security, is also the root cause of his internal alienation. When his needy impulsive sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) lands on Brandon’s sofa, a reminder of their shared past, and begins an affair with his boss, sexuality threatens to overwhelm every facet of his existence, becoming an all-consuming arena for a rigorous analysis of the politics of identity and power.
As with Hunger, McQueen delivers a rigorous portrait of a spirit in free-fall which packs a massive emotional punch, placing the filmmaker at the forefront of international cinema’s risk takers.
Winner of both the Best Actor and FIPRESCI award for Best Film at this year’s Venice Film Festival.