Aaron I'm going to be honest, I put of watching this movie for several months for multiple reasons, the most important one being the fact that I was unsure if I would even enjoy "Romeos". I'm a gay transman myself and let's be honest, there aren't a lot of movies who even deal with transgender issues, yet alone the issues gay transmen face. (At this point I'd like to point out that the right word to use in this context is either "trans" or "transgender", most of the reviews on here use the word "trangendered", which is incorrect, in the same way a blind person is not "blinded". Anyway, moving on...) I won't summarize the plot, considering it is probably the weakest aspect of the movie. To put it simple: It's a love story with lots of teenage drama. Instead I would like to emphasize that I was honestly impressed by Rick Okon's work as an actor. Sure, I would have preferred an actor who's actually trans, but I still thought Okon's performance was great. It was obvious that this was a role he really prepared for, the awkward posture is something I always catch myself doing, it was almost a perfect reenactment. Most other issues for transmen were also portrayed accurately, constant fear of being found out, people accusing you of being egoistic, stupid questions, having to fight for your rights etc. Yes, some of it was different from my own experience, but that's the thing, there is not one universal experience. (However, two things were simply wrong/outdated. First, transmen usually don't do their own shots in Germany but have it mostly done by a nurse, but I suppose doing your own shots seems "cooler". Second, you can now change your gender marker without any surgeries, but this might have not been the case when the movie was released.) The only thing I truly disliked was the constant focus on sex. Yes, the gay scene can be quite sexual, but there are obviously lots of gay men who think differently. Oh, and another things: There are definitely better ways to flatten your chest. I was constantly frustrated because the binder Lukas used was just horrible. I suppose it would have erased some of the plot points but it was just frustrating to watch, knowing that there are way better and more functioning alternatives. Overall, I would definitely recommend this movie, especially to someone who has little knowledge of transgender issues.

jemkarma Romeos focuses on Lukas, a trans boy who is living in a dorm as he does some sort of community work. The film focuses on Lukas' relationships with his friend Ine, who knew him before his transition, and Fabio a man who Lukas has mutual romantic feelings towards, as well as Lukas' struggles and achievements during transition. Romeos is an enjoyable film, though it contains some homophobia and a fair amount of transphobia. As far as I can tell Lukas is played by a cisgender man, which is not ideal. The film has a happy ending, and is very effective in portraying Lukas' dysphoria and anxiety about passing as a cisgender man. (spoiler)There is a short scene which involves attempted rape. (end spoiler) Would not recommend for anyone in a fragile emotional position, due to excessive amounts of transphobia shown by certain characters. Nevertheless Romeos is an enjoyable movie, the narrative treats its protagonist with respect and dignity, and the acting and production value is good quality.(Spoiler) Contains miss-gendering, dead naming, upper body nudity, attempted rape, t-slur, other transphobic and homophobic language (end spoiler)

Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de) Much more. "Romeos" is a German movie from 5 years ago written and directed by Sabine Bernardi. No surprise to see she is back to directing mediocre television projects as her effort here for this film is fairly mediocre as well, sometimes even bad. It runs for slightly over 90 minutes and takes us into the world of a young woman who intends to become a man via surgery. The first and possibly biggest problem is that the protagonist is played by a male and, not at one single point in the film, looks physically in a way like she has ever been a woman from the biological perspective. So yeah, bad casting decision, bad makeup etc. Your pick to make. Speaking about the story, it is not more convincing either. They try so hard to make this a touching film, but it never really gets past the attempt. The acting is not good on many occasions and the script isn't any better.The most known cast mate is certainly Liv Lisa Fries, who has become a breakthrough artist in recent years and been the lead in her own coming-of-age films recently. But she cannot elevate the material here either. In my opinion, this film has the same problem as so many other LBGT-themed movies. It is about a certain subject and, as a consequence, gets appreciated by audiences and awards bodies a lot more than it should. Audiences to whom this concerns should not just suck it up because it is about a certain subject, but they also need to want a certain level of quality, a level that is not reached here at any point. You cannot even blame the filmmakers for putting in so little effort if including a certain subject is already enough for a film to be liked. This is not a good film here and deserves none of the appreciation and popularity it received. I do not recommend checking it out. Thumbs down.

billy_dana Sabine Bernardi has nailed a fierce, tight, dramatic and moving story with this outstanding and challenging film. Can't say enough about the acting, directing and filming of this movie.I'm always wowed when the lead character is a whole human being - i.e., not perfect, but flawed and challenged - and you are still compelled to fall in love with that character. Mix that with a topic as difficult for some people (including myself for a large part of my life) as the subject of transgender (and do it well) and it results in a first-class story.Both leads are very good in this story, but Fabio, our lead's romantic interest, is really a backdrop and context for the voyage of self-discovery for the lead, Lukas. The mingling of the process of making the transition from female to male and the growing romance between the two leads is amazing, supple and moving.This is one of the most unique and get-under-your-skin films I've ever seen.