There’s a lived-in mentality to Poreless that is sure to resonate with certain audiences – it’s lead is a gay Muslim – but the comedic nature of its script, written by director Harris Doran and Fawzia Mirza, is particularly universal, looking at the vapid disconnection of the beauty world, the tightrope many walk when it comes to recognising people of colour, the “influencer” archetype, and the ultimate celebration that comes from self acceptance.
Across 13 minutes, Doran delivers more than what its brief running time would imply, with a slick, cinematic look (its cinematographer, Bill Kirstein, was the director of photography on last year’s Mean Girls musical adaptation) that enhances Poreless’s personality. It’s narrative set-up makes way for a multitude of conversational pieces, as it looks at a beauty influencer, Akram (Akbar Hamid, also the film’s producer), who, on the verge of a massive sales pitch to a quartet of insipid, oft-clueless, out-of-touch industry she-bosses (Gia Crovatin, Allyce Beasley, Lucy Owen and Sophie van Haselberg), has a skin breakout that sends him spiraling, adhering to the mentality that it goes against everything he – and by extension, the beauty industry – stands for.
Adopting a certain farcical temperament to move itself forward, Akram, under the impression that the very white executives won’t want to offend (and because, you know, all Muslims “look the same”), devises a plan and ropes in his brother, Arif (Parvesh Cheena), and sister, Asma (Sureni Weerasekera), to cosplay as him during the meeting. Despite the fact that they very much don’t look like each other, Doran and Mirza’s script delights in the laughs that can be derived from the conversation around casual racism (intended or not), and because Hamid, Cheena and Weerasekera are all in on the joke, it practically gives the audience permission to laugh at the unfoldings – seemingly aware that almost everyone watching is guilty of such a temperament.
Because Poreless expresses such biting comedy, it’s never distinctly telegraphed as to how it will wrap itself up. It ultimately does air on the side of inspiration and positive messaging, and whilst some may hope it kept a bit of its sting, the essence delivered is needed for the more influenced viewers who are so easily consumed by social media. Poreless expresses how mostly everything seen online in the capacity of advertising and body image is largely false, and it’s staying true to yourself and being happy in your own skin that reigns supreme.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Poreless is screening as part of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, running between June 4th and 15th, 2025. For more information, head to the official site here.
