A Revry original, Unconventional is a really well-liked queer dramedy that feels totally different from the usual stuff. The heart of the story is about two pretty eccentric queer siblings and their partners trying to build a family that doesn't follow the traditional rules. It takes a super raw and unfiltered look at queer life, diving deep into things like mental health, addiction, and how complicated identity and relationships can get. It’s not afraid to get messy or show people at their most vulnerable, and it really pushes boundaries while showing a lot of different queer experiences. The first season has nine episodes, and each one is about a half-hour long. The story centers on Noah, a grad student who’s been struggling for years to wrap up his PhD. He’s been with his husband, Dan, for nine years, and they’ve recently gotten married and moved to Palm Springs. While they're trying to figure out how to start a family and have a baby, they decide to shake things up by in...
The documentary arrives at essential truths about suffering and loss through abstract means. At a coffee shop, François’s sister relives the day she told her parents about her brother’s death. But the mother corrects her, probably with a hint of bitterness that suggests resentment for not having learned of her son’s death first or, more likely, an attempt to compensate for the fact that she will never know the full extent of what her son suffered during the last five minutes of his life. Once we witness the family's pain, the focus moves to the legal proceedings and the three day trial. The perpetrators were sentenced to 20 and 15 years respectively after recounting of what really happened that night. But the overarching theme is when 6 months after the trial, Francois' parents send an open letter to the youths who murdered their son in which they advise them to move beyond hatred. The camera eavesdrops on discussions between the attorneys, social workers and, most importantly, documents the Chenu family's sorrow and their noble, yet frustrated, attempts to understand how the killers' racist and xenophobic upbringings could result in such pointless, and hate-fueled, violence.
I feel the overarching theme of this documentary was more around tolerance and forgiving rather than sensationalizing. The open letter at the end is a healing act which contains a genuine sense of forgiveness and reconciliation. In a world where hatred and revenge are tolerated, this documentary shows that there is another path that can be taken, one that cherishes and reverences human life no matter what. This documentary is highly recommended for its positive modeling of the spiritual practice of forgiveness. The equanimity with which Francois' family handle the trial and its aftermath offers a heroic example. And thankfully the documentary director also stays away from any kind of sensationalism, which in my opinion is the biggest win of this documentary. The subject needs respect and a dignified approach and the documentary does exactly that putting the case into a wider socio-cultural context. camera eavesdrops on discussions between the attorneys, social workers and, most importantly, documents the Chenu family's sorrow and their noble, yet frustrated, attempts to understand how the killers' racist and xenophobic upbringings could result in such pointless, and hate-fueled, violence. (6/10)
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