Sebastian ⁞⁞ Movie Spotlight

The UK film Sebastian is a character drama from writer/director Mikko Mäkelä (A Moment in the Reeds). It follows Max (Ruaridh Mollica), a 25-year-old writer with aspirations of publishing his first novel. Fearing that time is running out to jump-start his career, he makes an unconventional decision and begins living a double-life as a sex worker in hopes that it will spark some inspiration for his novel. Juggling his new venture with his regular life as a freelance writer begins to have a bigger effect on his life, and begins influencing his relationships, his potential romantic connection with fellow writer Joel (Dylan Brady), and his sense of privacy. He takes on the pseudonym of Sebastian as he meets with several clients, including those played by actors David Nellist & Akbar Kurtha. He panics when his secret life collides with his professional one after spotting his client Nicholas (Jonathan Hyde) at an event hosted by his publisher. After squandering his magazine job due to his focus on sex work, Max gets closer to Nicholas while also catching the eye of the more domineering business traveler Daniel (Ingvar Sigurdsson). This leads to a confrontation in another country, forcing Max to reach out to Nicholas for help. Upon revealing his novel to Nicholas, Max finds a different kind of inspiration in Nicholas' reaction, helping him make the final push to finish his book.