Review of Queer Romantic Drama Sauna

Sauna, the debut feature from director Mathias Broe, is the story of Johan and William, detailing their romance from a Grindr hookup to a passionate affair that affects both of their lives.  Johan is a young cis gay man who heads to the city to live an honest and open life far from his family.   While William is a transman who is navigating the challenges of his transition, facing obstacles both from parts of society and the government.

Johan has moved to the city and got a job at a local gay bathhouse to escape from the confines of his family, which does not accept him.  He is lost and seeking meaning in his relationships, but is finding only momentary pleasure.  He turns to Grindr for another night of escapism and meets William.  The romance almost ends before it can begin when Johan is surprised to find that William is a transman (even though it was listed on his profile).   After a moment of uncertainty, Johan takes the plunge and finds himself immediately smitten with William.  The pair have a couple more dates, but the budding romance is almost brought to an abrupt end when Johan takes William to the Sauna where he works.  There, William faces prejudice and discrimination for being transgender and is thrown out.   Johan later finds William and apologizes. William gives Johan another chance, and Johan throws himself into William’s world, but his personal issues and lack of understanding lead to several complications in their relationship.

The first thing I have to do is give enormous praise to a movie that includes a trans man in its storytelling.  There are far too few narratives that showcase the lives of transmasculine people.  This movie was actually the first film in Denmark to cast a transgender actor in a leading trans role.   That said, the movie is told from Johan’s perspective, and he starts with almost no experience with the trans community.    A fact that leads to trouble throughout the couple’s courtship.

 I need to talk about Johan’s character and actions, but first, I need to preface it by saying that none of my issues are with the actor, Magnus Juhl Andersen.  I think he does a great job portraying the character he is given. The problem is that we never get a proper understanding of Johan.  We don’t know why he decides to take a chance on William after he initially rejects him. We don’t know why he steals money for William’s surgery after they have been on a handful of dates, and his big grand gesture at the end of the movie kind of proves that he has not learned much.   

This leads me to the movie’s greatest strength, but also the thing that took me out of the film a little bit.  There are some projects you remember for their dialogue or twisting plot; I think you will remember this movie for the way it makes you feel.  Sauna, especially in the beginning, is about immersing yourself in the moment, be it a crowded dance club, a passionate encounter, or, in a negative way, when a person faces prejudice.  I think I would have liked to see a bit more about the main character to understand his actions better.  

After talking about Magnus Juhl Andersen, I have to shout out Nina Rask as William. They are phenomenal.  They steal every scene they are in, showing at times an easy charm and at others the vulnerability that comes only when a person has to seek permission from an outside organization to define themselves.  

I am looking forward to seeing what director Mathias Broe has coming down the pipe next.   Sauna will be available to rent or own on all major digital platforms beginning November 18, and I encourage everyone looking for an entertaining cinematic experience with good trans representation to check it out.