Review: "Blue Jean" tackles the horror of the closet
Monday, June 12, 2023 at 1:29PM 
As Pride Month unfolds, it's always expected to see some queer stories find their way into the release schedule. Blue Jean is a prime example, arriving in American theaters this past weekend after a smashing critical reception in its home country. Georgia Oakley's feature debut dazzled many on its way to four British Independent Film Awards and a BAFTA nomination. The film looks back to Thatcher's England and the threat of Section 28, whose ban on "promoting homosexuality" feels awfully close to recent conservative legislation on both sides of the pond. Not that Blue Jean is especially keen on overt political messaging, making its points within the model of a character study.
The character in question is the titular Jean, a secondary school PE teacher in 1988 Newcastle, who hides her sexuality in the workplace and most areas of her personal life. Only at night, in the secretive Eden of a gay bar, does she get to be herself…