2025 certainly is the year of impressive directional debuts. With Urchin, Harris Dickinson delivers a fiery, feisty and bold debut  and with Plainclothes, Carmen Emmi creates a remarkable first feature that's a painful but necessary reminder that we are never as far removed from an intolerant past as we like to believe. It tells the story of a young undercover police officer (Tom Blyth) working in 90s Syracuse, who, during a sting operation to apprehend and arrest gay men, finds himself attracted to ‘his target' Andrew (Russell Tovey).

Before Plainclothes hits limited UK cinemas on the 3rd of October, with a wider release on the 10th of October, FILMHOUNDS spoke to director Carmen Emmi and actor Russell Tovey (Being Human) about the extensive writing process, shooting the movie in 18 days, the story's importance and more!

First of all, congratulations on the film. How are you feeling about Friday's release?

Carmen Emmi: It's a dream come true. I'm really excited.

Russell Tovey: I'm over the moon that Curzon's distributing it here. Magnolia has been amazing in the States. It was a project that happened for me very quickly. The whole filming was 18 days, and I was there for eight of those days. It was a beautiful job. It was amazing filming it. We all had a wonderful time. The cast and crew were deeply connected and wanted to be the best version of themselves for Carmen and the script, as everyone believed in the script so much.

Is it challenging to find distributors for this film due to its topic, or is society at least more open now to topics like LGBTQ+?

CE: It was a really slow year for distribution in general. Any film that gets distribution is lucky. It never came up that it was a risky topic for distributors on my end, but I'm sure those conversations happened; I might not be aware of them.

I remember when I was writing my script and people in the industry would tell me, “You know, you should write something that's a little bit more mainstream.” But I'm from the middle class, so anything I wrote would somewhat reflect those sensibilities. What I wanted to write was a thriller of emotion. I don't feel like it's that niche.

RT: It's hinged on a queer narrative, but there are universal themes running through the film. It's a universal story, but if you write a good script and make a well-made film, however nuanced it may be, it will find an audience. What Carmen has achieved is incredible. And that's why so many people are responding to it.

And Carmen, where did the inspiration for this movie come from?

CE: It came from my coming out experience. I wanted to unpack the feelings I felt when I was accepting my sexuality. And also I wanted to make a story about what it feels like to police your feelings and what that anxiety feels like. I do feel like those moments when you connect with someone for the first time, when you've never connected with another guy before, as a man myself, it can be quite thrilling. And I wanted to put that into a story.

I've read an article in the LA Times in 2016 about a sting operation where undercover police officers were flirting with men in a bathroom and arresting them after they got them to expose themselves. And I just thought that it would be so interesting if a police officer had feelings for another guy, because I interviewed police officers who told me that men that they worked with who were on those sting operations would sometimes get aroused during those operations. And I was like, “That's a really interesting thing.” I mean, it makes sense that it would happen if you're in a sauna and flirting with another guy, someone's going to get aroused. I just thought that was such a rich topic for a story. And then my brother was becoming a police officer. So, all of those things happened at once and became the story.

When casting for the roles, what were you looking for in the actors?

CE: It took me a while to write the script, and as I was writing it, there were several people in my mind for all the roles. However, in 2020, I saw a recorded version of Angels in America and Russell was in that. After that, I started subconsciously just imagining Russell in the role for Andrew as the love interest. And so, I tweaked the script a lot based on my idea of what Russell would be like. When it came time to cast him, I was apprehensive because I didn't want to get rejected. Our producer, April [Kelley], sent him the script. A few days later, she says, “He wants to meet with you.” And I was like, “That's crazy.” Tom came out of nowhere. I didn't know who he was before I cast him.

Russell, what were your thoughts when you read the script for the first time?

RT: The period it's set in, the 90s, is very fascinating to me. I was born in '81. The '90s were my period, and then going back and playing someone this age was really appealing. The dialogue was wonderful. I can tell within about 10 pages of reading the script whether I want to do it or if it's a world I want to step into. I was literally like, “Oh yeah, I know, I can sort of see what this is or what I want to do.” Yeah, for sure. And that's, you know, a testament to Carmen's writing. But it was also for Syracuse; for some reason, I've always found it quite a romantic and mystical place. When filming the movie, it was snowing and cold, but it felt like the most romantic and idyllic way to be in Syracuse.

CE: I felt that way about casting, too, what Russell was saying about reading the first page and just knowing it instantly. I cast on Zoom for this movie, but as soon as people would pop up on the screen, I knew it was them I wanted to work with or not. Russell was the only one I knew before whom I wanted to be in the film, but everyone else, as soon as they popped up, it was an instantaneous thing. And it wasn't just about the looks; it was like an energy.

And how is it as an actor to have a director who has so much trust in you and even had you in mind when writing the character?

RT: Amazing. He galvanised the cast and crew, and everybody rallied behind his script and direction. That was an amazing feeling on set. It's just been a total privilege from start to finish to be involved in this, and I feel so proud of it.

And how was it to act with Tom as your co-star?

RT: We approach acting in the same way that we're both instinctive, and we celebrate vulnerabilities. We got along so well, had a lot of fun, and laughed a lot, but the work was the work. And we both connected to the parts and to this narrative, which we wanted to be the best version of ourselves that we could be. I adore him. I think he's great. Even after the filming and all the press events, I've got to know him more and more, and he's just the best.

There are numerous scenes where there's little to no dialogue, especially at the beginning, where it's mostly looks and touches. And how is it for you to see those scenes, mainly because they're just purely the actors and their amazing performances?

RT: You know what he does, which is new to me, is that in scenes where there is no dialogue, Carmen would play music. So there would be classical music or there would be Lana Del Rey, you know, that whole playlist that he's created. As an actor, it's like hacking into emotion. You know, like you listen to a soundtrack that comes on your ears when you're on public transport, you're suddenly somewhere else. You can dream, fantasise, and imagine other scenarios. That's what working that way did. So, then, looks that were prolonged were enhanced by the soundtrack that we were given from day one, which was game-changing.

CE: I feel like that was definitely really helpful for me on set, too. Not just the actors, but the crew. As different music played, people responded to it and literally moved together. And so, when Tom and Russell were in their scenes together, we were all in a flow, where everything just happened naturally. I wanted to make sure I gave them space and calmness to access those emotions. As Russell said, we only had 18 days to shoot, and the nature of that is to go, go, go. However, you must find those pockets of peace; otherwise, you're doing a huge disservice to everyone and your story.

But those moments between them where it's just them looking, you know, I was watching on a really small monitor and a lot of times I would be in a different room, and so I couldn't fully see what was going on. It would be a lot about trusting them. And when I watched it later, I noticed many of the subtleties in their acting, particularly in their eyes, which made it very difficult to edit because everything was so good yet so different. That was an incredible experience, something I don't think I'll ever get to do again, because I'll always have playback to look back on moving forward. However, there was something nice about not having playback and just trusting them.

The visuals are a combination of digital photography and grainy Hi8 segments. When looking for a cinematographer, were you seeking someone you had worked with before or someone with experience in creating those kinds of visuals?

RT: Did you know Ethan [Palmer]?

CE: No, I didn't. I had a cinematographer with whom I went to school and college, but he had to drop out a few weeks before production because our schedule was pushed, as Tom's schedule on his show, Billy the Kid, was also pushed. I had to work with a new cinematographer whom I had never worked with before and I met him through our assistant director. She knew that he lived in New York, near Syracuse, and she said, “He lives nearby.” And I knew that he had shot movies in 18 days before. So when I was looking for a DP, I was really looking for someone who knew how to shoot a film fast. That was it. Everything else was vibes-based.

I have a cinematography background. I grew up with the camera, so I am confident in my abilities for visual storytelling; however, it was still a risk because I hadn't worked on a feature film before. However, much of the VHS footage you see was either shot with the actors on set or taken from my own childhood. My brother appears in the film as the little boy wearing a football helmet. A lot of it comes from my own childhood.

Have your family already seen the film?

CE: Yeah, they've seen the film. They came to Sundance. And my brother, who works in law enforcement, has read almost every draft, and he's seen, I think, a few iterations of the film, because I wanted it to be as realistic as possible, really reflecting what police officers experience. But they love it. We had a screening in Syracuse. My nana came. I was really nervous about the car scene, watching it next to her. But she loved it. I'm fortunate to come from a very supportive family.

So, apart from the mall where they first met me, their true first meet-up is in the cinema. It looks like such a gorgeous place. Where was it and how was it to film with such rich decor?

CE: That was the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse. It was once a vaudeville house in the 1920s. Now it's a place where touring productions, such as Hamilton, come in. It's actually not a movie theatre. We just made it appear to be one. But it's gorgeous. Much of the story revolves around these men connecting in the cracks of society. And I want to show that the cracks can be really beautiful and that their connection can exist in this stunning place. The first time that a guy touches him in that way, I wanted it to be in a place where he will never forget. That's why I set it there. I'm a romantic at heart. I don't know, I see that gold and the red, and it's just so beautiful and romantic.

So, you shot in 18 days, and you mentioned a little bit about the cold weather, and so on. But what are also the positive aspects for you, as a director and an actor, that it had to be so quick?

CE: Oh, you have to trust your gut, actors and script. And there's something beautiful about that and scary.

RT: The positive is that you assembled a great crew who wanted to be the best. It does feel like a tight schedule, but when we were in those scenes, there was space to breathe and just to be. That was unexpected. That was a really wonderful thing. We've made a film in 18 days. That in itself is a massive achievement.

CE: Recently in my personal life, I've realised that when I don't trust my intuition or when I don't listen to my intuition, I start to spiral a bit. And in that tight shooting schedule, I had no choice but to trust my intuition because there was no time. You just have to do it. There's no room for second-guessing, which is good in something like this. I spent so long on the script. For me, the script and casting are the two most important aspects. You can have an okay script and a fantastic cast and still have a great movie. Both of them have to be very strong.

RT: It's wild that you spend so long on the script and you film it in just 18 days. You've been working on this for a long time. You have to really be prepared; you did all your homework and got prepped for that. There was no ego between Ethan and you. You would go, “Right, we're going to do this”. Everyone just wanted to tell a story. That's what we felt on set.

CE: We were just all so connected. There was a time when I would be hanging out by the camera, and Ethan would whisper to me, “Do you want to operate this one?” I would totally work with Ethan again. He has a very zen vibe about him and didn't have an ego. I just really appreciated that. He was there to tell the story. I feel that sometimes cinematographers try to push their visual style onto something that doesn't serve the story. The best cinematographers are always in the service of the story.

This is your debut film. Was the filming and production process just as you expected when you decided to make the movie?

CE: No, no. Pre-production was hell, I will say. But I hear from directors a lot that pre-production sucks. You have an idea of what it will be, and then, in the first week of preparation, everything changes. It's just a bunch of changes that you have to go with. But the one thing that I kept telling myself was you're making the film that you're supposed to make. So even when the changes came, I just kept telling myself that.

I'm just really grateful that I stayed calm and didn't freak out because, for example, we lost our mall location a month before we were going to shoot. That was like six years of my life imagining it in that space, you know? It was my childhood mall, and it was devastating, but it wouldn't be right for the story or for our crew. The location we chose to shoot at was a good size. We didn't have to deal with all of the stores. It was perfect for what we needed.

What do you hope that people will take away from this feature?

RT: The story feels incredibly timely because last week, when we were in New York, these stories came out about sting operations happening at Penn Station in New York, where men are being targeted by the police and arrested. Some are sent to ICE detention facilities. This is happening right now. This film should be a historical documentary and a period piece, but it's actually incredibly contemporary; the world is just cyclical – here we are again. And bizarrely, that story is driving people to see this.

CE: It's already sparking conversations. That was my goal with it: to spark conversation and build bridges. Many police officers contacted me and thanked me for the film, and said it was very similar to their experiences when they were on the force in the 1990s. So that was cool to hear that it resonated with people. I simply want people to approach each one with empathy and love.

What is next for you both?

CE: I'm writing right now and also reading scripts to direct, but hopefully I'll have the opportunity to work with Russell again.

RT: I'm trying to push him to write something into his following script for me. A lot is going on, so I'm just happy. I'm enjoying promoting this film.

CE: Do you want to go on stage again? I would love to see you on stage.

RT: Yeah, I'd love to get back on stage, for sure. It won't be this year. It'll be next year.

Plainclothes is out in UK cinemas on the 3rd of October, with a wider release on the 10th of October, courtesy of Curzon.

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