In From the Side (2022)

Minute for minute, you won't find a more handsome-packed film this year than British rugby drama In from the Side, a surprisingly moving sports-team story slathered in sweat, streaked with mud, and dripping with sexuality. As a "B Squad" of gay athletes tries to overcome inexperience and push past rivalries to score an elusive win, a secret affair simmers among them. Romantic Mark (puppy-eyed Alexander Lincoln) finds himself unable to avoid the blazing appeal of teammate Warren (Alexander King), who sets off every red (or in rugby, yellow) flag: the cocky attitude, the emotional unavailability, the long-term boyfriend. In From The Side dives deep into rugby-half macho battlefield, half tender brotherhood-but don't sweat the rules (or "laws," which even the sport's fans find impenetrable): the real drama occurs off the field as infidelities, heartbreak, and unimpeded passions rule the day. A triumph for director Matt Carter-who shot, edited, co-wrote, and composed the music-In from the Side infuses every vivid frame with heat.