This is Trial Bi Media- a bi cinema catalogue in the making.
A google search of ‘bisexual movies’ gives an AI-generated carousel of dubious quality, some Reddit posts, and an uneven spattering of magazine top 10 lists.
I think we can do better than that.
Your Bi Blockbuster
Here at Trial Bi Media I will be watching as many films with bi representation as I can to catalogue the landscape for you. From the promiscuous bi villain stereotype to the bi-curious coming-of-age story, from the out and proud bi to the subtly bi-coded, we are going to cover it all one movie at a time.
Let this be your Bi Blockbuster. It might take a while to stock our shelves, but I endeavour to document as much bi cinema as possible so you can find what you want to take home and watch.
To help your selection, we have:
Film essays on specific bi titles (published on the second Monday of the month)
Bi-te size bits focusing on film history and theory (published ad-hoc)
Extra fun movie stuff, personal insights and ramblings (published ad-hoc)
How to fit in here
There are four core rules at Trial Bi Media:
There are no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ movies. There are just movies. If you like a movie, that is good enough. No one needs to feel bad about what they like or feel the need to justify it if they feel it isn’t ‘arty’ enough or the representation isn’t perfect. If it speaks to you, that means something.
We aren’t looking for one movie to be everything. Here at Trial Bi Media we are growing a diverse garden, not a monoculture. Media about marginalised identities is often under a lot of pressure to tell everyone’s story at once in a way that media about straight people (particularly men) isn’t. We, of course, won’t ignore intersectionality, but we won’t expect one film to capture all those intersectionalities. Here we are cataloguing everything that is on the table so that you can eat what you like (while noting which dietary requirements are not being adequately met).
Bi is an umbrella. A very big, colourful one that lots of people—be they cis, trans, ace, or non-binary—can fit under. Whether you use the term ‘bi’, ‘pan’, ‘queer’, something else, or nothing in particular, it’s covered as long as there is a sexual and/or romantic attraction to more than one gender. Using the word ‘bi’ in the title just made for an outstanding pun. We aren’t picky about terminology.
Be kind. Be respectful. This one feels self-explanatory.
Need more info on what this is all about? Check out the introductory ‘What is This’ post.
About me
I am a writer, film lover, and queer person (hence this whole substack idea). I am a professional content writer for a charity to pay the bills, but writing into the void about my niche interests is where my true passions lie.
I was born and raised in various suburbs in Australia (I wrote a piece once about the time Hugh Jackman filmed ten seconds of a Wolverine movie in my hometown) and left at 19 to live in the UK. I currently live in Brighton.
I studied film and history at the University of East Anglia (and was quite good at it). So know that I have the capacity to be a massive film snob but, for the good of humanity, actively choose not to be.
You can check out the chaos that is my Letterboxd @Aly_Marie.
Follow the substack on instagram @trialbimedia
Free stuff
I am not jumping the gun with paid content yet, so for now everything is free. Even if I wade into the world of paid subscriptions, the monthly film essays will always be free.
Tell me I’m good
Other kinds of feedback are also welcome. I would love to get your comments and insights on my work so we can grow this place together. Please like, subscribe, share, comment and all that other stuff. It’s much appreciated.
And hey, if you got this far, thanks. It’s lovely to have you.
