Below Her Mouth (2016) Movie Review

『A Fiery Journey of True Love and Self-Discovery Beyond Taboo』

🎥 Movie Overview

🎬 Title: Below Her Mouth (2016)
🌍 Country: 🇨🇦 Canada
🎞️ Genre: Adult Drama / Romance
🗓️ Production & Release: Independent, 2016
⏳ Runtime: 90 minutes
📢 Director: April Mullen
🖋️ Screenwriter: Stephanie Fabrizi

👩‍💼 Cast: Natalie Krill – Jasmine
Erika Linder – Dallas

🧩 Story Deep Dive (Spoilers)

🔥 A Life of Stability and Inner Conflict

Jasmine is a successful fashion designer in Toronto, living a stable life with her fiancé, Rile. However, her life of apparent ‘stability’ masks inner emptiness and repressed conflicts. Intentionally foregoing professional fulfillment and ignoring the truth of her emotions, her encounter with Dallas marks the beginning of confronting a new world and discovering her true self.

💔 Confusion Between Desire and Self-Discovery

The meeting between Jasmine and Dallas is accidental but intense. Jasmine is torn between her existing identity and her stable relationship, feeling attracted to Dallas yet conflicted by guilt toward her fiancé. Dallas draws Jasmine in with candid emotions and passion, awakening her hidden desires and the possibilities of love.

💬 “Was the life I’ve lived until now real?”

Jasmine’s anguish leads to fundamental questions about her own identity. The deep connection with Dallas enables her to discover her suppressed true self, shedding the façade of ‘stability’ and embracing her authentic truth. In this process, they achieve a complete emotional and physical connection, yet Jasmine’s inner conflict is not easily resolved.

🔥 Courage in the Face of True Love

Ultimately, Jasmine decides to transcend both her own limitations and the expectations of those around her. She confesses her feelings to Dallas, ending her previous relationship and courageously beginning her own path. The two embrace each other’s imperfections and cultivate a deep and authentic love.

🦋 Emotional Resonance and Significance

🎨 Filmmaker’s Intent: Eroticism Through a Feminine Lens

The most notable aspect of Below Her Mouth is its effort to liberate sexual narrative from the male voyeuristic gaze. With all key creatives (director, writer, cinematographer) being women, the sexual scenes focus on the emotional and physical intimacy of the two characters rather than titillating a male audience.

Sex as dialogue: The film uses sexual acts themselves as a primary language to convey the relationship and emotions between Dallas and Jasmine, even more than their verbal exchanges. The intense, whirlwind physical passion over a short time functions as a "process of awakening" for Jasmine to discover her repressed sexual identity and desires.

Dallas’ Androgynous Appeal: Portrayed by Swedish model Erika Linder, Dallas exudes a tough, androgynous charm, embodying the archetypal ‘player’ afraid of commitment. This contrasts with Jasmine’s more traditionally feminine traits, highlighting the universality of attraction.

🎬 Critical Dilemma: Balancing Eroticism and Story

While the film successfully conveys eroticism through a female perspective, it has been criticized for sacrificing narrative and character depth in the process.

Narrative Sparseness: The relationship between Dallas and Jasmine relies heavily on instant attraction and sexual passion, progressing rapidly. The lack of plausible emotional connection or background makes it difficult for viewers to empathize with their actions. Clichéd dialogue and situations further reduce story depth.

Simplified Characters: Jasmine’s fiancé, Rile, functions merely as a ‘tool’ symbolizing her old life, without depth as a character. Dallas, similarly, does not stray far from the stereotypical ‘player’ rejecting commitment. This suggests the film prioritizes female sexual freedom at the expense of other narrative elements.

Pornography Controversy: The frequency and intensity of explicit sexual depictions led some critics to label the film as "soft-core porn." Despite the intent to honestly portray female sexuality, excessive nudity and repeated sexual acts are said to dilute the thematic message.

💡 Bold Attempt, Imperfect Execution

Below Her Mouth leaves a meaningful mark in queer cinema solely by its bold depiction of female sexual desire. The fearless and committed performances of Erika Linder and Natalie Krill, along with their explosive chemistry, remain the film’s greatest attraction.

However, the structural limitation of "intense sexual activity comprising most of the narrative" prevents it from achieving the depth and tension expected of a well-crafted romance drama. It serves as an interesting case study of how a female gaze handles eroticism while reminding that films must still deliver strong storytelling beyond sexual depiction.

In conclusion, due to the explicit sexual content, audience reactions are polarizing, but the film remains a controversial work that engages with the expression of female queer cinema.

🎯 Personal Rating

💕 Love Scene Intensity: ♥♥♥♥♥
⭐ Overall Rating: ★★★★★