Bruce LaBruce’s The Misandrists (2017) is a satirical, campy exploration of radical lesbian separatism that simultaneously celebrates and critiques feminist ideologies. Set in a fictionalized "Ger(wo)many," the film follows a cell of the Female Liberation Army (FLA), a goddess-worshipping commune led by the charismatic "Big Mother". While the film is wrapped in a "dirty eye" aesthetic typical of LaBruce's "queercore" roots, it delves into complex questions regarding gender essentialism, trans-inclusion, and the cyclical nature of oppression. The Satirical Lens of Radical Separatism
A trans enlistee within the FLA forces the group to broaden their narrow "essentialist praxis". The Misandrists (2017)
The film's satirical edge is sharpest when exploring the premise of "female dictators" and the potential for any revolutionary movement to mirror the structures it seeks to overthrow. Bruce LaBruce’s The Misandrists (2017) is a satirical,
The film uses high-fantasy and camp to spoof second-wave feminist idioms and lesbian-separatist fantasies. The FLA lives in an isolated villa, viewing men as the "cops of the world" rather than mere humans. By exaggerating these tropes, LaBruce creates what reviewers from 4Columns describe as a "low-budget, high-fantasy tale" that burlesques radical rhetoric while taking its underlying motivations seriously. Excavating the "TURF" of Gender Essentialism The Satirical Lens of Radical Separatism A trans
One of the film's most critical themes is its scrutiny of trans-exclusionary radical feminism (TERF).
The commune’s idyll is threatened when a male fugitive is secretly harbored in their basement, exposing the cracks in their absolute separation.
The narrative challenges a movement that defines "woman" solely by anatomy.