Looking for Her

Written, directed by and starring Alexandra Swarens, this 2022 independent romantic comedy moves a familiar setup into a queer story. Taylor is going home for the holidays and her family is finally ready to meet her girlfriend Jess. The trouble is that Jess does not exist; Taylor holds open auditions for someone to play the part. What follows is as much about how Taylor explains herself to her family as it is about a fake relationship turning into a real one. The film stays inside the limits of a low budget, and the performances and pacing are uneven in places. Against that, moving the genre's machinery into a story where queer characters are the centre is still not common. Who it's for: viewers who want queer romantic comedy and a different take on the holiday film. Who it's not for: anyone expecting studio polish or a script that surprises.