It was 2016. Toronto was buzzing during the International Film Festival, and then there was this one movie everyone seemed to be whispering about. Below Her Mouth movie 2016 wasn't just another indie flick; it felt like a bit of a jolt to the system. You’ve probably seen the posters or scrolled past it on a streaming service and wondered if it’s just another cliché romance. Honestly? It’s not. It is a relentlessly intense, unapologetically carnal look at what happens when two people collide at the wrong time.
The film follows Dallas, a roofer, and Jasmine, a fashion editor. Dallas is played by Erika Linder, a real-life androgynous model who basically carries the screen with this brooding, quiet energy. Jasmine is played by Natalie Krill. Jasmine is engaged to a guy. She’s got the "perfect" life. Then she meets Dallas.
Boom.
The All-Female Crew That Changed the Lens
One thing people often overlook is that this wasn't just a movie about women; it was made entirely by women. Director April Mullen and writer Stephanie Fabrizi made a conscious choice to have an all-female crew. You might think, "Okay, does that actually change the movie?"
Yeah. It does.
There is a specific way the camera looks at the human body in this film. It’s called the female gaze. Usually, in Hollywood, intimate scenes feel like they’re staged for a specific kind of spectator. In this movie, it feels more about the sensation than the view. It’s tactile. You can almost feel the heat of a Toronto summer coming off the screen. The production was tight, intimate, and focused on making the actors feel safe enough to be incredibly vulnerable.
Cinematographer Maya Bankovic used a lot of natural light. It gives the whole thing this raw, unpolished vibe that makes the drama feel less like a "movie" and more like you're eavesdropping on someone’s private life.
Breaking Down the Plot Without the Fluff
Dallas has just gone through a breakup. She’s working a blue-collar job, living a somewhat nomadic existence. Jasmine is the opposite. She’s high-fashion, structured, and planning a wedding to her fiancé, Rile.
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They meet at a club. It’s not a slow burn. It’s an instant, magnetic pull.
What’s interesting is how the movie treats Jasmine’s "straight" life. It doesn't paint her fiancé as a monster. He’s just... there. He represents the path she’s supposed to take. But when Dallas enters the picture, that path starts looking like a cage. The film captures that terrifying moment when you realize the life you built might be a lie. It's about the "below her mouth" moment—that gut feeling that overrides logic.
Why Erika Linder Was a Casting Genius
Before this, Erika Linder was famous for her modeling work, often appearing in both "menswear" and "womenswear" shoots. She has this James Dean quality. In Below Her Mouth movie 2016, she doesn't have a ton of dialogue. She doesn't need it. Her performance is all in the body language—the way she leans against a wall or the way she looks at Jasmine.
Natalie Krill had the harder job in some ways. She had to play the person coming undone. You see her transition from a woman who is completely in control to someone who is terrified of her own desires. The chemistry between them? It’s heavy. It’s the kind of chemistry that makes other actors look like they’re just reading lines.
Critical Reception and the "Unrated" Buzz
When it dropped, the critics were split. Some loved the bravery of the filmmaking. Others thought the plot was a bit thin. Variety and The Hollywood Reporter both noted the film's intense commitment to realism.
The movie got a lot of "unrated" or "NC-17" equivalent buzz because of its graphic nature. But if you focus only on that, you miss the point. It’s a movie about the loss of identity. It’s about how a single weekend can completely dismantle years of social conditioning.
- Director: April Mullen
- Writer: Stephanie Fabrizi
- Release Date: September 10, 2016 (TIFF)
- Runtime: 91 minutes
- Country: Canada
The Impact of the Female Gaze in 2016
Back in 2016, we weren't talking about the female gaze as much as we are now. This movie was a pioneer in that space. It refused to apologize for being erotic. It refused to center the male perspective.
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Most movies about lesbian relationships involve a lot of tragedy or period-piece corsets (looking at you, Carol or Portrait of a Lady on Fire). This was modern. It was gritty. It was set in the present day with characters who felt like people you’d actually meet at a bar in Queen West.
Technical Aspects You Might Have Missed
The sound design is actually pretty incredible. There’s a lot of focus on ambient noise—the sound of the wind, the city, the heavy breathing. It creates this claustrophobic feeling that mirrors the characters' obsession with each other.
Also, the pacing is fast. At 91 minutes, it doesn't overstay its welcome. It hits you, does what it needs to do, and leaves you reeling. That’s a hallmark of Mullen’s directing style. She’s not interested in filler.
What Most People Get Wrong About Below Her Mouth
People often dismiss this as "just an adult movie." That’s a lazy take. If you watch it closely, it’s a character study on the fear of intimacy. Dallas uses sex as a shield; Jasmine uses her engagement as a shield. When those shields drop, they’re both pretty lost.
There's also this misconception that the film is "anti-men." It’s not. The fiancé is treated with a certain amount of empathy. His world is being destroyed too. The movie is simply focused elsewhere. It chooses to stay in the room with the two women, exploring a dynamic that is rarely shown with this much honesty.
The Legacy of the Film
Years later, the Below Her Mouth movie 2016 remains a staple in queer cinema. It didn't need a massive budget to make an impact. It just needed a clear vision and two leads who were willing to go all in. It’s a reminder that sometimes the most powerful stories are the ones that happen in the quiet, messy spaces between two people.
For those looking to understand the mechanics of independent Canadian cinema, this is a masterclass in "doing more with less." It proved that there was a hungry audience for stories that didn't follow the standard Hollywood romantic arc.
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Actionable Insights for Viewers and Filmmakers
If you're going to watch it or if you're a creator looking for inspiration, here’s how to approach it:
Watch for the non-verbal cues. Pay attention to how the camera moves when the characters aren't talking. It tells a completely different story than the dialogue. This is a great lesson for writers: let your characters' actions speak louder than their words.
Observe the color palette. The shift from the cool, sterile tones of Jasmine's apartment to the warm, sun-drenched atmosphere of the roof where Dallas works is intentional. It reflects the emotional temperature of the film.
Research the "All-Female Crew" initiative. If you’re a filmmaker, look into how April Mullen structured her set. It’s a viable model for creating a specific onset culture that translates directly into the performances you see on screen.
Check out the soundtrack. The music is a vibe. It features artists like TRUST and Austra, which fits that mid-2010s Toronto electronic scene perfectly. It adds an extra layer of "place" to the movie.
To get the most out of the experience, try to find the director's commentary or interviews from the 2016 TIFF press circuit. Hearing Mullen talk about the technical challenges of shooting high-intensity scenes with a small crew gives you a whole new appreciation for what they pulled off. The film is currently available on several major streaming platforms, often categorized under independent or LGBTQ+ cinema.