Mikko Mäkelä’s Sebastian didn’t just turn heads, it turned the entire film industry on its axis. What began as a quiet, intimate indie drama about a queer man’s journey into sex work has become one of the most celebrated films of the year, sweeping through awards season like a tidal wave.
From its world premiere to the red carpet finale, Sebastian collected accolades with unapologetic poise. Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay – it won them all. Lead actor Ruaridh Mollica’s performance was particularly lauded, earning Best Actor honors for his raw, vulnerable, and fiercely intelligent portrayal of Max, a young novelist-turned-sex worker. Supporting actor Jonathan Hyde, portraying the tender yet complicated client Nicholas, also walked away with a trophy, solidifying the film’s reputation as an ensemble triumph.
But Sebastian’s real power lies beyond the trophies. It reclaims the narrative around sex work in queer cinema. Instead of painting sex work as tragic or exploitative, it centers it as a source of agency, intimacy, and transformation. Max’s journey into escorting isn’t one of downfall but of discovery – of his body, his desires, and the blurred lines between art and life.
Critics praised the film’s refusal to sensationalize. Every scene breathes with quiet tension and emotional honesty, and the cinematography’s warm realism makes even the most intimate encounters feel deeply human rather than voyeuristic.
Cinematically, Sebastian nods to the greats – echoes of Midnight Cowboy, My Own Private Idaho, and Call Me By Your Name are unmistakable, but it also paves new ground. Where other films may have hinted or whispered, Sebastian speaks clearly: sex work is part of queer life, and queer life is worthy of cinematic reverence.
By the end of awards season, Sebastian had become more than a film. It was a cultural moment – a necessary, overdue shift in how queer stories are told. And it did it all while holding a mirror to society and saying, without shame or apology, “This is also love. This is also art.”
Sebastian is currently showing in UK and Irish cinemas. In the United States, the film is available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.