Despite the increased focus on transgender issues recently, there aren't many films centered around this part of the LGBTQ+ community when compared to others in the genre. It’s reasonable to hope that writer-director Elena Oxman’s first feature film will help bring more attention and recognition to movies about transgender people, a group increasingly wanting to differentiate itself from those who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual. This understated but thoughtful movie follows Cass (formerly Cassie) Marks (Asia Kate Dillon), a restaurant server and occasional babysitter trying to begin again in San Francisco after a difficult childhood in Michigan, marked by parental rejection, questions about her gender identity, and eventually substance use. While working at an upscale Bay Area restaurant, Cass connects with a coworker, Kalli (Louisa Krause), who asks Cass to watch her 12-year-old daughter, Ari (Ridley Asha Bateman), when she has to leave town briefly for business related to her new clothing design venture. Cass agrees, expecting the childcare job to last just a few days. But as time goes on and Kalli doesn’t return Cass's many voicemails, concerns arise about whether Ari has essentially been left alone, which is upsetting for Cass because it brings back memories of her own childhood. This isn’t what Cass envisioned, and it only adds another challenge to successfully building a new life. So, what does Cass do when this unexpected situation arises? That's the central question that moves the story forward. The filmmaker skillfully keeps viewers guessing about where things are going, essentially putting audiences in the protagonist’s place as they try to make sense of everything. This is achieved through an engaging script with a well-chosen set of problems, supported by strong acting, a feeling of mystery, and subtle, appropriate moments of humor. The film also showcases San Francisco's scenery, including views of less familiar parts of the city, accompanied by a fitting original musical score. It’s true that the movie could move a bit faster at times, but speeding it up too much would probably diminish the sense of uncertainty that the filmmaker aimed to create in portraying Cass’s state of mind. "Outerlands" is a worthy addition to transgender cinema and a promising start to this director's work on feature films, something one hopes will continue with future projects.

Source on TMDB