Freak Show | What to Watch

A teenage drag queen (Alex Lawther) ruffles more than a few feathers when he decides to run for homecoming queen at his Southern high school

A teenage drag queen (Alex Lawther) ruffles more than a few feathers when he decides to run for homecoming queen at his Southern high school.

The directing debut of Trudie Styler (Sting's wife), this feelgood coming-of-age comedy-drama is undeniably overblown and a tad messy in places, but its message of tolerance and inclusion comes across loud and clear.

Young English actor Lawther is sensational as the fearless Billy Bloom. He turns up on his first day at his new school in an outrageously flamboyant costume, which would do Boy George and Adam Ant in their heyday proud, and stands his ground when the bullies and the bigots gang up on him.

'Vote for me,' he declares, 'and you're voting for the freak in all of us.'

Abigail Breslin, AnnaSophia Robb co-star and look out for Bette Midler as Billy's self-absorbed absentee mother and for cameos by John McEnroe (as the school's PE coach) and Laverne Cox (as a TV reporter).