Slap (2015) - Short film

Slap, directed by Nick Rowland, involves the story of a teenage boy who likes putting on makeup and wearing dresses in secrecy. This boy comes from a working class background and has a dad who takes him to boxing practise, a predominately masculine hobby. His friend, who gets beaten up by a group of homophobic men, finds us his secret as the boy is forced to go outside and break up the fight, while still in his makeup. Later on, the boy decides to go dressed in 'drag' to a fancy dress party, with everyone thinking it is a joke, and his secret is finally discovered and told to his girlfriend.


This short film is classed as a 'coming-of-age film', and I would agree with this only slightly because it's about the teenage boy discovering who he is, and allowing himself to be who he wants to be without fear of judgement. However, I would say that this film has more elements of social realism as the boy is aware of who he is, and it is society and his relationships with the people around him which holds him back. I think this film establishes the struggle with societal ideas of masculinity, especially shown where his gay friend tries to kiss him, as the people around him try to label his sexuality based on his interest.


Overall, I really enjoyed this film and I was inspired by the aspects of social realism which I could use in my coursework, such as the hand-held camerawork in the mirror.