Video Librarian Review: vanilla
On the surface, director Joseph Adesunloye’s film Vanilla is an exploration of the dynamics of a romantic relationship gone wrong. We’ve seen this play out countless times in films with A-list actors in front of the camera—a love that unravels due to a buildup of wrongs committed by both parties. However, as representations of relationships from all walks of life have flourished in film over the last decade, it's equally important to explore how those relationships can fall apart when built on shaky ground.
Vanilla follows Matt and Bastien, an interracial gay couple vacationing in Barcelona. We learn early on that the love they once shared is on the rocks. Months earlier, Bastien cheated on Matt, leaving the door open to Matt's paranoia and insecurity in the bedroom. Bastien is the free spirit of the pair—an artist who seeks passion and follows his heart—while Matt is more conservative and committed. Despite his struggles with intimacy and his reluctance to fully forgive Bastien, Matt still tries to stick it out, believing things might improve. Yet, Bastien’s small jabs take their toll. At one point, he mocks Matt’s career as a trader, calling it a job “where he makes money just to make money.”
Amid their relationship woes, they connect with a tour guide, Florent, a queer Englishman who shows them around Barcelona and takes an interest in Bastien—an interest Bastien doesn’t seem to discourage. This only deepens the existing cracks in their relationship, leading to a clash between the two as the film progresses.
Why does this LGBTQ drama film belong in public and academic library collections?
Vanilla takes big swings in its seventy-minute runtime. With only a few scenes taking place outside the rental house where Matt and Bastien are staying, the film creates a sense of intimacy and claustrophobia—you feel trapped there with them. Their arguments have you siding with one character, then switching allegiances in the next breath. It’s a compelling look at the complexity of love, showing that no matter who finds love with whom, emotional turmoil doesn’t discriminate by gender or sexual orientation.
With LGBTQ+ films now firmly in the spotlight rather than on the margins, it's crucial to continue exploring subgenres that once only centered straight relationships. Vanilla proves that the “relationship drama” remains just as potent with two gay men at its core—reminding us that paradise, even in Barcelona, can be fraught with emotional storms.
What makes Vanilla a standout in LGBTQ relationship dramas?
Vanilla distinguishes itself in the LGBTQ+ relationship drama genre through its raw emotional honesty and minimalistic storytelling. Rather than relying on grand gestures or melodrama, director Joseph Adesunloye focuses tightly on the intimate, day-to-day unraveling of a couple's bond. The confined setting—a rented vacation home in Barcelona—creates a pressure-cooker environment where every glance, silence, and passive-aggressive comment takes on added weight. This deliberate focus pulls the viewer into the emotional messiness of a relationship in decline, without the distractions of subplots or outside interference.
