You’ll Take Back Every Bad Thing You’ve Said About Rami Malek After Seeing His Bold New Drama

At one point during Ira Sachs‘ newest drama, The Man I Love, a character says, “It’s a tough business, living,” and that sentence encapsulates the entirety of this complicated, romantic, and heartbreaking film. Starring Rami Malek, Sachs’ latest follows an actor named Jimmy George in late 80s New York. Jimmy, a passionate stage performer, has gotten a second wind after being diagnosed with HIV and is ready to take to the stage for what very well might be his final performance. Supported by his loving partner, Dennis (Tom Sturridge), and his sister, Brenda (Rebecca Hall), The Man I Love tracks Malek’s Jimmy in an emotional and stirring story about love and art set during the height of the AIDS epidemic.

Ira Sachs Blends Beauty With Tragedy in ‘The Man I Love’

Image via Cannes

There’s no doubt that Sachs is a master when it comes to crafting a stirring narrative. From the script, which he penned with long-time collaborator Mauricio Zacharias, to the vivid cinematography by Josée Deshaies (who was also behind the camera on last year’s Urchin), The Man I Love embraces the art of filmmaking to its highest degree. The eroticism of the male form is on full display, but it never feels exploitative or meant to simply titillate. Every frame is overflowing with color, every moment lifted by the emotions of the characters on the screen. Sachs gives special attention to Sturridge’s Dennis and Malek’s Jimmy, who have a complex and deep connection. His camera focuses in on Malek and Sturridge’s facial features, highlighting every microexpression and reaction.

Interlaced within the narrative are musical performances, but you could definitely never call The Man I Love a musical. Instead, the characters, specifically Jimmy, emote through their art. From a beautiful and romantic rendition of “The Man I Love” by Ella Fitzgerald to an absolutely devastating a cappella performance of Melanie‘s “Look What They Did to My Song, Ma,” music is used when words simply aren’t enough. And, as Jimmy is an artist who is constantly surrounded by fellow artists, the other cast members also perform, with an interlude even showing each character singing a song of their choice, including Hall and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays Brenda’s husband, Gene. The beauty of the art only highlights the tragedy of the loss of talent as Jimmy deteriorates throughout the film, showing how much of an influential impact he has on his community.

Rami Malek Has Never Been Better, but Tom Sturridge Steals the Show

Image via SBS Productions

The highlight of the film is Malek, who plays Jimmy with unrelenting dedication. Jimmy is far from a simple man, actively engaging in an affair with his new and naive neighbor, Vincent (Luther Ford), while Dennis becomes more of an emotional crutch as the man who has seen him through the worst of his illness. But Malek never makes Jimmy unlikable; instead, we see his suffering written out on his face. He is emotionally distant when he’s with Vincent and sensitive and fragile with Dennis. Malek is in the spotlight of every scene, and both he and his character Jimmy eat up the attention. There’s not a moment when you want to look away.

However, the secret talent who steals the show is Tom Sturridge. Sturridge gives a restrained and measured performance as Dennis, who deeply loves Jimmy but also struggles with his infidelity. It’s through Dennis that we see the cost of the AIDS epidemic the clearest. His confrontation with Vincent proves just how aware he is of the imminent danger that their community faces. The quiet moments of him taking care of Jimmy evoke a type of love that most people can only dream of, and the sobering scene of him sorting through Jimmy’s bevy of medication is a reminder of the danger they face. And, at a devastating moment in the third act, the coldness of how he is treated at a hospital when Jimmy falls ill will crush your spirit. That’s not to say that Sachs’ film is nothing but doom and gloom, but Sturridge plays the heart of the film. It’s his best performance to date.

There Is a Weak Link in ‘The Man I Love’

Image via SBS Productions

Unfortunately, as lovely as The Man I Love is, there’s one glaring weak link in the form of newcomer Luther Ford’s Vincent. In his first feature debut, Ford is doing his best with the material given to him, but Vincent often feels more like a villain than another nuanced character. Between his obsession with Jimmy and his youthful naïveté, Vincent is an insufferable character to see on screen. It doesn’t help that Ford and Malek have zero chemistry, and every scene of them together feels forced in a way that made me question why Jimmy was even bothering to waste his time.

It doesn’t help that the film lingers a lot on Ford’s character. Vincent has long sequences where he’s just walking through a club, doggedly searching for Jimmy, wide-eyed and mouth agape. There’s another moment at the end where we simply watch him dance for a full two minutes. These are the moments that drag the film down, bringing the pacing to a screeching halt. The same can be said for scenes where the film loses itself in the play performance or musical scenes. For a film that’s only 95 minutes, these scenes could have been shortened. Still, Sachs’ newest film evokes pure passion and heartbreak in equal measure and stands as a resounding success for both Malek and Sturridge.

Release Date

May 20, 2026

Runtime

95 minutes

Director

Ira Sachs

Writers

Mauricio Zacharias, Ira Sachs

Producers

David Siegel, Mike Spreter, Misook Doolittle, Myriam Schroeter, Saïd Ben Saïd, Scott McGehee

Pros & Cons

• Tom Sturridge steals the show as a quiet favorite in The Man I Love
• The intimate camera moments emphasize how powerful and emotional each moment is.
• Rami Malek gives his most emotional performance to date.

• Newcomer Luther Ford weakens the cast with an uneven performance based on a two-dimensional character.