Sebastian: Gay sex worker drama set to electrify cinemas gets first trailer and poster (EXCLUSIVE)
“In London, a lot of people do sex work, especially in the queer community - hopefully it will be a vehicle for a discussion" the film's star, Ruaridh Mollica, tells Attitude
Sebastian, the provocative gay sex worker drama from director Mikko Mäkelä, has just dropped its first trailer and poster.
The film, which stars rising actor Ruaridh Mollica, hits UK cinemas on 4 April 2025.
The latest issue of Attitude carries a revealing interview with Mollica.
We also recently included Mäkelä on our list of 101 influential LGBTQs making waves in their respective industries.
Sebastian‘s plot follows a young writer living in London, who embarks on a double life as a sex worker to research his debut novel.
Mollica was nominated for Best Breakthrough Performance at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) for his work on the film.
“Sex work is just another job”
In his Attitude interview, 25-year-old Mollica told us of the film’s themes: “It’s opened my mind a lot more to sex work. I’ve never had negative views on it anyway. But I think it was quite empowering to explore sex work in a deeper way. I watched a lot of interviews. Mikko had done a lot of research, talked to friends who are sex workers. For me, sex work is just another job.
Sebastian synopsis
‘Max, a 25-year-old aspiring writer living in London, works at a literary magazine and is on the verge of finding success in the local literary scene. By night, however, he moonlights as a sex worker to research his debut novel. What begins as a series of furtive meetings soon evolves into a secret nocturnal life as his alter ego, “Sebastian.” In a fearless lead performance from newcomer Ruraridh Mollica, Max’s emotions shift from ecstasy to shame and exhilarating liberation. Far from merely informing his autobiographical fiction, Max’s experiences as Sebastian awaken a deeper sense of self—unshackled from societal expectations—all while threatening his carefully-earned status in the literary community. SEBASTIAN explores the transgressive power of queer sexuality and the transformative impact of embracing a new identity.’
“A lot of people who do sex work love their job. I think there’s an absolute power to that. That’s something that needs to be more normalised and accepted. It’s slowly happening through OnlyFans. But there’s still a lot of taboo around the subject that’s slowly getting dismantled, which is nice.”
The star furthermore added: “I feel like in London, a lot of people do sex work, especially in the queer community – hopefully it will be a vehicle for a discussion.”
Sebastian hits in UK and Irish cinemas on 4 April 2025.