Dogs Don’t Wear Pants (2019) 

Grief, romance, S&M, and body horror: Can you ask for much more in a movie? If this sounds like your cup of tea then Dogs Don’t Wear Pants might just be for you. I was lucky enough to see this on my birthday when I was covering the 2019 Philadelphia Film Festival. While I was attracted to the film for the body horror elements, I did not expect to come out of the viewing feeling moved and quite frankly giddy with excitement. After Juha’s wife dies he is left emotionally empty and finds he has a hard time connecting to those around him. Things change, however, when he meets Mona, a dominatrix who he wants to suffocate him as it is one of the few things that makes him feel alive. While the relationship has its ups and downs and often involves them breaking the rules they set up to maintain boundaries, they are each able to awaken something in the other. Through his exploration of the BDSM world, Juha finds connections to his wife, and possibly a new community. This is one of the more unconventional love stories out there, but its meditation on grief and how one can make their way through these emotions to enlightenment is one of the more impactful stories I have seen in some time. 4 out of 5 sacs of blood.

—Victoria Potenza