Within the rich cinematic tradition of gender-bending sex comedies, films about high schoolers posing as male or female coeds have been on quite a run since the 1980s. But the subgenre that gave us Just One of the Guys and She’s the Man has long been in need of a timely hit — which is exactly what first-time feature director Siobhan McCarthy is hoping to score with She’s The He.
Following in the footsteps of 2023’s Bottoms — which parodied high school sex comedies like 10 Things I Hate About You — She’s The He is a hijinks-filled, coming-of-age film that celebrates friendship and self-discovery. The premise is that best friends and high school seniors Ethan and Alex (Misha Osherovich and Nico Carney) decide to pose as trans women as their last effort to convince people they’re not gay. The characteristically ill-devised plan is thought up by Alex, who sells it to Ethan based on the fact that this will get them into the girls’ locker room, where they can then lay on the charm. But things start to get complicated when Ethan realizes she actually is trans, further complicating the friends’ pursuit of popularity and threatening their bro-romantic bond.
To bring to life the twisty tale — which draws inspiration from conservative efforts to police bathroom use as well as the gender-bending classic Some Like It Hot — McCarthy assembled a largely trans, nonbinary, and queer cast and crew. And perhaps most importantly, she cast trans actors as her leads, lending the film authenticity as well as adding layers to its punchlines.
“Showcasing a trans woman in the leading role not only subverts expectations but reclaims a space where trans women have often been reduced to tropes or erased entirely,” McCarthy writes in their director’s note for the film, which they say plays out conservatives’ worst fears on screen while satirizing media that fuels fear-mongering.
“Casting primarily trans men as the cis male characters allows us to further subvert conservative anxieties around bathroom access and challenge the flawed notion that clothing dictates gender,” the nonbinary director adds. “By rejecting these reductive, harmful narratives, we center the emotional core of trans identity — highlighting the validation and joy that self-presentation can bring.”
After premiering at last year’s South by Southwest and making its way through queer film festivals like Frameline and Newfest, She’s The He will open in theaters this June. Before the film from Obscured Releasing starts screening in New York on June 5 and in Los Angeles June 19, you can check out the newly released trailer below. With a dramatic voiceover, makeover scenes, and characters mooning over their crushes, the very funny sneak peek is the perfect way to prepare for revisiting high school trauma through McCarthy’s satiric lens.
