[spoilers] Below Her Mouth (2016) — Film of The Week

submitted by piylot from (self.Lesbians)

Did it deserve its 22% Rotten Tomatoes score? Did it make you want to fall in love with a roofer? Discuss below

Next week's film is Saving Face (2004)

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[–][deleted]  (6 children)

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    [–]florasis 9 insightful - 6 fun9 insightful - 5 fun10 insightful - 6 fun -  (0 children)

    Stupid story, but the sex scenes, especially the pussy on pussy ones where quite well done. Sometimes a movie is saved by porn :D

    [–][deleted] 10 insightful - 2 fun10 insightful - 1 fun11 insightful - 2 fun -  (3 children)

    Roofing is one of the hardest jobs. She would be very very tanned and shredded. I didn’t find her believable either.

    [–]LeaveAmsgAfterBeep 8 insightful - 7 fun8 insightful - 6 fun9 insightful - 7 fun -  (2 children)

    Tbh I assumed she had only been doing it like 6 hrs before the film started...

    [–][deleted] 5 insightful - 5 fun5 insightful - 4 fun6 insightful - 5 fun -  (1 child)

    She was a “roofer” about as much as Zoolander was a “miner.” Lol

    [–]Anniesworld 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

    Lol 😂 I think I would have enjoyed the movie more if she painted her co-workers with tar and skip-danced off the roof.

    [–]MyLongestJourney 6 insightful - 5 fun6 insightful - 4 fun7 insightful - 5 fun -  (0 children)

    She definitely doesn't look like a roofer

    When the movie revealed Dalas (cringe) profession (cringing intensifies),the above was my first thought.

    [–]spirette 12 insightful - 2 fun12 insightful - 1 fun13 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

    22% on RT? Should be lower than that. It's pure garbage.

    [–]lmaonope333 11 insightful - 4 fun11 insightful - 3 fun12 insightful - 4 fun -  (0 children)

    I once started watching it but it was so full of cliches and stereotypes that it didn't hold my interest. pure cringe

    [–]FlanJam 9 insightful - 3 fun9 insightful - 2 fun10 insightful - 3 fun -  (0 children)

    Its kinda funny, first time I saw this movie I knew it was bad I just watched it for Erika Linder lol. But looking at it now... I'm not really into her anymore. Like, I still think she's pretty and all, but she's not really my type anymore haha.

    [–]LeaveAmsgAfterBeep 7 insightful - 3 fun7 insightful - 2 fun8 insightful - 3 fun -  (0 children)

    I kept being scared what the ending was going to be, because so many films that use the tropes this one did end with a lot of screaming or violence etc. this one mostly impressed me in that it was somewhat tense but less bad than some films.

    [–]SailorMoon2020 6 insightful - 2 fun6 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 2 fun -  (63 children)

    SPOLIERS.

    The disconnect between the Roofer and her HAPA girlfriend in the beginning with the 'did you cum'...'almost'. If one has to ask that question then that kind of says a lot about the relationship.

    When the roofer goes to the club for the first time in the movie and meets Main Girl #2, I'd call that sexual assault. When you tell someone 'no' repeatedly, yet they follow you throughout the establishment like a lost puppy, that's harrassment, maybe not sexual assault but harrassment. That scene was not romantic nor cute, it was troublesome.

    The lines were extremely one demensional. Especially when they spend the day together and even the night before when they're at the bar, and they're discussing careers. Main Girl #2 says, 'you're sweet...you're really sweet. I like your style'. What?

    Then they make their way into the alley where Roofer says, "stop torturing yourself". Main Girl #2 then says, "you're torturing me". Wtf?

    I understand the Roofer not having a tan because they're in Canada. When I lived in Montreal, it didn't go past 76 degrees. I wore a sweater everyday and my allergies were off the wall. Her not having muscles of any kind regardless of body type, was unrealistic, yes.

    I really liked the sex scenes though! It showed different types of sex women can have, even the unconventional ones such as strap on sex and strap on anal. I was able to relate to those scenes and felt a desire during them.

    The scene where Roofer says to Main Girl #2, "do you want me to take it off?" Was extremely relatable and hot at the same time. There's such a negative connotation to strap on sex within female homosexual circles that women who are into it, often have low self esteem regarding sex due to forever hearing, 'its wrong', 'it's too hetero-whatever'. However, it can be quite intimate and often can put the woman who's receiving at a vulnerable state since she's going against the ideologies of her own community.

    Same for the anal strap on scene. That scene showed just how much she was trusting of the Roofer. As we know, when we have sex with other women, it's not so much about the mechanics but about the emotion, the raw emotion that goes into it. The book Therese and Isabele which is a French book, has a similar anal scene with fingers. Though that book did a much more better job with their anal scene than this movie, I understand the goal of what the movie was trying to relay and I appreciate that.

    [–]Innisfree 9 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 1 fun -  (15 children)

    There's such a negative connotation to strap on sex within female homosexual circles that women who are into it, often have low self esteem regarding sex due to forever hearing, 'its wrong', 'it's too hetero-whatever'.

    I can't speak to all but it would seem a pity letting what the community thinks affect their self-esteem. I can see though how it can make it hard to find a partner who enjoys the same thing. But in principle, if one finds such a partner, I would hope they can close the bedroom door on other people's hangups about sex and just enjoy themselves. Consenting adults and all that.

    Hehe I think Mary Oliver is in order again: "let the soft animal of your body love what it loves" lol

    PS: when it comes to rep on-screen though I think strap on sex is not a problem, as long as it is not the only thing shown - not to give the idea that this is all lesbians do. Just my 2 cents.

    Edit: clarity

    [–]TalerTest 11 insightful - 1 fun11 insightful - 0 fun12 insightful - 1 fun -  (14 children)

    when it comes to rep on-screen though I think strap on sex is not a problem, as long as it is not the only thing shown - not to give the idea that this is all lesbians do

    Personally, I don't want to see strap-ons in lesbian movies at all. I don't care what people want to do in their bedrooms, but the rest of the world already thinks that's all we do since the majority of "lesbian" representation comes from porn.

    If someone was complaining about the negativity surrounding strap-ons in the lesbian community I'd probably just laugh at them. That's a non-issue. To me, the real issue would be everyone thinking that lesbians are obsessed with phalluses.

    [–]Innisfree 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (12 children)

    Personally, i think there are two ways that strap-on sex can be shown without giving the idea that this is all lesbians do in bed. One that would make a more light-hearted or funny comment on the practice, like we see with vibrators. And one where it is placed in context as the sex toy that it is, that is a small part of some people's bedroom repertoire.

    Regarding a more light-hearted rep of kinks in general, I saw this great film once "The Duke of Burgundy" on two lesbians in a long marriage, one of them is really into being a sub to the other. Made myself watch it cause i couldn't understand all this predilection for sub-dom stuff in some lesbian online communities (perhaps they were not lesbians, with online you never know). Anywho, the film shows this dynamic of the sub always trying to up the game with the dom, and by the end of the film their relationship erodes, cause the dom just gets tired of playing out all these scenarios :), of dressing up in the tight leather, wearing the high heels (which hurts her back :) ), saying all the dom talk. There is this whole atmosphere of boredom and also sadness over the whole thing as soon as the newness wears off (which it inevitably does). It is a great example of representing some predilections with nuance and humour.

    [–][deleted] 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (11 children)

    Pixels likes that film. I think the sub is actually the dom, btw. The older woman is the actual submissive one. That was her reading of it but I haven’t seen it because she told me about it and i was like “ugggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh” because i just want to see a normal lesbian film for once ffs without some crazy age gap or torture porn stuff lol

    [–]Innisfree 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (10 children)

    I'd love to hear Pixel's thoughts on it - she brings great angles to things that usually fly over my head.

    I am beginning to see how pervasive the torture porn and age gap stuff are. You have red pilled me Lol (forgive the use of the term).

    That film though saved me from one of my ex's getting my naive self into more than I can handle. I had some alarm bells ringing when she started talking about how "Bdsm is so interesting" and we should get that strap on (cue giant black leathery thing). I wanted to nope out of that the very moment but being the in-love dunce I was I thought I should do research and watch a film. Well this film just confirmed that none of the sub dom stuff is for me. Needless to say we broke up soon after. She is exploring how interesting bdsm is with a guy now :)

    [–][deleted] 6 insightful - 2 fun6 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

    Barf to your ex

    Bdsm isn’t that interesting. It’s actually pretty boring, imo. I have a strap on and use it. I don’t care if that’s whatever to anyone. If my partner didn’t want something I would be turned off by it. That’s the important thing, not trying to get someone to have sex they find off-putting. Nothing would gross me out more, tbh.

    [–]Innisfree 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

    Word mate, word!

    [–][deleted] 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

    Aww, thanks.

    I think we're more or less in agreement on DoB - I just saw the younger, submissive one as the true dominant partner in the relationship as she controlled the power dynamics and wielded the threat of looking outside the relationship to fulfill her needs.

    But I didn't really see it as all that lighthearted though. It is a funny movie, but by the end - even though they're shown burning the scripts and getting rid of the trunk - the "dom" is back in the wig and about to re-enact the same scenario we saw at the beginning and throughout the movie, re-entering the whole cycle that made her so miserable in the first place. So to me the whole thing was really horrible and sad and not a happy ending at all. And if you extrapolate the bdsm roles to just regular roles we play in relationships in order to please our partners, it shows how you can sacrifice your happiness and lose your sense of self when the person who is your entire world desires different things than you do. I've never been in a serious relationship, so this hit on a lot of very specific fears of mine - having to change for someone else, having a life that revolves around another person, having to forgo personal boundaries and preferences in order to please someone, etc.

    I've seen people refer to it as a "beautiful love story", so maybe it's just me, but it's like they watched a different movie than I did. To me it's a personal nightmare.

    [–]Innisfree 6 insightful - 2 fun6 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 2 fun -  (4 children)

    Brill reading. Don't know how i retrospectively managed to erase the sad ending from my mind. I suppose i focused too much on the irony of the whole situation. Specifically, that the one who was the sub in the roleplay was, like you say, the one who controlled the relationship dynamics. And her manipulative side - scary stuff!

    And if you extrapolate the bdsm roles to just regular roles we play in relationships in order to please our partners, it shows how you can sacrifice your happiness and lose your sense of self when the person who is your entire world desires different things than you do.

    That's a great way to summarise the message of the movie. I appreciate it even more now. Because at the time it also rung some bells for me and mapped out a minefield for future relationships. After watching it i remember being less willing to redraw my boundaries. Useful. Perhaps a rewatch is in order it's been 6 years already, wow. Thank you for sharing your thoughts! Highly recommend to anyone in a new relationship or just out of one because - see pixel's post.

    Edit: missed a word

    [–][deleted] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

    Thanks! I just saw it for the first time recently, after putting it off for a long time (I thought the bdsm elements were going to be considerably more explicit). After seeing In Fabric (not as good, but worth seeing) in the theater, I took the plunge.

    It's possible people are reading the ending as a compromise between the pair, but Cynthia, the dom, looks so sad while fixing her wig and like she doesn't recognize herself in the mirror. Coupled with the movie ending where it begins, I read it as an unhealthy cycle. If you see it again, let me know what your thoughts are. I had thought about recommending it in one of the film threads, but I think it's hard to find on streaming and I wasn't sure how a male directed, weirdo bdsm lesbian movie that mimics 70s sexploitation would fly. I loved it though.

    [–]Innisfree 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

    It's certainly unhealthy. But I enjoyed the complexity with which the dynamic was portrayed. It's sparse on dialogue and evocative - good combo. I'll rewatch though and get back with my pensées :)

    [–]Innisfree 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

    Re-watched and re-appreciated. Besides again agreeing with your reading, all i can say is i re-appreciated Sidse's acting and the fact that her character had to stay so well hydrated throughout the film Lol

    On a side note. Peter Strickland, the writer and director, said sth that i found to be true while watching: he tried to make a tender film about relationship dynamics, rather than a specific practice (your reading, spot on). He tried not condemning the characters, but also look with humour and empathy at some of the excesses - "the things we do for love".

    [–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

    Also: i passed the message to pixels and she will hopefully give you all of the pixelly angles we have grown to love.

    [–]Innisfree 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

    Thanks for sending the pixelly angles our way :)

    [–][deleted] 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

    I would be more offended if they whipped out those tiny candy-coloured vibrators, but i totally get what you are saying.

    For me, unless a couple as had sex with their bodies only at least a few times, having random scenes with strap-ons is not the best look.

    [–][deleted] 8 insightful - 2 fun8 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 2 fun -  (40 children)

    wait, what anal scene? I assumed that she was penetrating the vagina, but from behind. If that was anal sex then this movie is even more lame than I thought. I'm sorry but no. Just no. Anal sex? why tf??

    [–]SailorMoon2020 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (39 children)

    Anal sex? why tf?

    Because...some women like anal...

    Edit: I assumed it was anal due to the position. And she was gasping more deep and with a little more discomfort, so I assumed so.

    [–][deleted] 9 insightful - 3 fun9 insightful - 2 fun10 insightful - 3 fun -  (38 children)

    I've always just thought that women who say they like anal are just pretending. I still think that and I won't be swayed lol

    If that was an anal sex scene then it was very porny and unrealistic. I've heard about the amount of preparation that goes into anal sex from gay men. You cant just go for it (unless you want shit to get everywhere...some do)

    [–]SailorMoon2020 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (37 children)

    I've always just thought that women who say they like anal are just pretending. I still think that and I won't be swayed lol

    Its hard for some to believe but all women are different when it comes to sexual pleasures.

    If that was an anal sex scene then it was very porny and unrealistic.

    ...it is a movie and the movie was way porny prior to that scene lol

    Relaxation and knowing where the hole is, as well as gentleness helps. Most gay men, and men in general aren't very gentle when it comes to sex.

    [–][deleted] 7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 1 fun -  (36 children)

    fair enough. I was thinking about biology when I typed my comment. 0 women have prostates so I don't believe that women who like anal are experiencing any physical pleasure from it (unless they like pain?). Probably a psychological thing.

    [–]SailorMoon2020 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

    I haven't received anal. My ex girlfriends who did like anal and who I actually gave anal to were from Sweden. They simply said it felt really good. Personally, I can speak on analingus which feels really good.

    Probably a psychological thing.

    The brain is the biggest sex organ. Kinks and fetishes fall under this I'm sure, if not neurology. When you're with someone you love wholeheartedly a lot of things can feel good without much of an explaination.

    [–][deleted] 7 insightful - 10 fun7 insightful - 9 fun8 insightful - 10 fun -  (2 children)

    hahaha idk why but the way you had to include that those exes were from Sweden made me laugh. And yeah, I guess it's a kink

    [–]SailorMoon2020 2 insightful - 3 fun2 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 3 fun -  (0 children)

    I'm not sure. Lol maybe it's because I never even thought about anal until I dated the first one. When the second one came about and was similar along with a really good friend of mine, I couldn't help but think, "Maybe Swedish women just like to get down like that". It's a big generalization but it was a mind pop for me.

    [–][deleted] 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (31 children)

    It can actually feel pretty good in combination with other stuff. There are a lot of nerve endings. I don’t think any woman would orgasm from it unless something else was happening at the same time, or the internal part of the clit was being stimulated by a particular angle. But the scene in question was not super believable as “anal.” Not to me

    [–][deleted] 7 insightful - 4 fun7 insightful - 3 fun8 insightful - 4 fun -  (27 children)

    LOL If it can feel good in combination with other stuff, then is it the anal that feels good or the other stuff? Now we have a puzzle on our hands

    [–][deleted] 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (26 children)

    It’s not a puzzle. It’s a combination of nerve endings being stimulated at the same time which make the experience more intense. Having an ass is not a myth. It has bonafide nerve endings. I asked the scientists just now and 10/10 agree about the nerves. Lololol. I can see why it’s not a zone some people want to explore tho

    [–][deleted] 8 insightful - 5 fun8 insightful - 4 fun9 insightful - 5 fun -  (25 children)

    I was thinking more about this. Sometimes pleasure can simply be the alleviation of pain. Maybe when women experience "pleasure" from anal, it's just caused by the contrast between discomfort and no discomfort. So, discomfort when penetrated and "pleasure" when it stops haha That would be interesting.

    I mean yes nerve endings are being stimulated, but we're not just walking erogenous zones and not all stimulation will cause pleasure. I just can't see how or why a woman would experience actual physical pleasure from anal sex. I'm gonna be a skeptic for life. I'd believe in scalp sex or neck sex before I believe in anal sex 😆

    [–]SailorMoon2020 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

    The women I did it to didn't have any extra stimulation(I wasn't rubbing their clits or anything). I think it's no different than women who orgasm while giving head and who don't touch themselves during the process.

    [–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

    I think it’s quite a bit different

    [–]SailorMoon2020 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

    Hmm I wonder...oh well.

    [–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

    Dude. Canada is boiling hot and humid in summer, especially southern Ontario. I had heat exhaustion for 3 months straight working outside in Toronto. It’s no Texas, but it gets hot

    [–]SailorMoon2020 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

    Boiling hot? So like 100?

    Edit: I don't know how hot it has to be for someone to get a tan. I never seen a tanned Canadian. They were all lacking color beyond paleness.

    [–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

    Yeah 100, or close to. I don’t think you spent very long here if you think no Canadians with tans exist

    [–]SailorMoon2020 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

    This is correct. I only stayed an year.

    [–][deleted] 2 insightful - 3 fun2 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 3 fun -  (1 child)

    And Montreal is cold. It’s the worst

    [–]SailorMoon2020 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

    Lol that is also correct!

    [–]Freetochoose 5 insightful - 4 fun5 insightful - 3 fun6 insightful - 4 fun -  (1 child)

    It is, to put it mildly, not good.

    [–]LeaveAmsgAfterBeep 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

    Against a good movie, its very much not.

    Against the bisexual f/f film duckbutter, it’s somehow better. Some might debate with me on that. Somehow below her mouth didn’t make my top 4 absolute worst f/f and lesbian film list I don’t think.

    [–]Lesbianese 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

    ... I can't say plot wise if the movie was good or not because I was more focused on the sex scenes as a 17 year old, lol.

    [–]begonia_skies 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

    Flimsy and terrible story with even worse acting. Seems like the sole purpose of the movie was to cram as much lesbian sex as possible into the running time. I tend to like a slow build, like Desert Hearts or Carol, where the characters have some room to develop tension and this is basically soft porn but framed as a movie. Actually, I think I have seen better plots and acting in actual porn.

    [–]piylot[S] 1 insightful - 4 fun1 insightful - 3 fun2 insightful - 4 fun -  (0 children)

    Well if we ever run out of film suggestions that could be a backup

    [–]soundsituation 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

    Just reporting back to say that this film was truly awful and that no it did not deserve its 22% RT score; it deserved much worse. I have seen a lot of bad lesbian movies in my time but at least many of them were still fun and/or had heart - this one is pretty joyless. I couldn't even get into the sex scenes because there was zero connection or chemistry between the characters. Stopped watching before the halfway point.