Blue Film’s Reed Birney says it’s ‘best work he’s done’ despite major backlash
Reed Birney plays Hank in ‘Blue Film’ (Image: Getty Images | Obscured Releasing)
Reed Birney has said he “wasn’t prepared for the divisiveness” around his lead performance in Blue Film, describing it as “the best film work [he’s] ever done”.
Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, the 71-year-old actor also described an unexpected side effect of the film’s rollout: some viewers “are not able to separate the performance from the character”.
Birney stars as Hank Grant, a former teacher who was sent to prison for an attempted sexual assault of a student. In the film, Hank hires adult sex worker, Aaron Eagle (played by Kieron Moore), who is revealed to be Alex, a former student of Hank’s. Over the course of one night, Hank tries to explain himself and confront what he says he felt at the time.
Birney said he did not anticipate how polarising the film would be. “I guess I’m not as smart as I think I am, but I wasn’t prepared for the divisiveness, honestly,” he said. “I never for a second thought it would be controversial. I never for a second thought of Hank as a monster. I never thought of him as a manipulator or a groomer. Isn’t that weird? I mean, I guess it’s true, but I never thought of it. I just thought he was a sad and broken man.”
Why audiences are ‘confusing’ actor and character
Birney said the reaction has been complicated by the fact that many people are encountering him for the first time through Blue Film. “Because I’m not famous and this feels like a fair amount of people’s first exposure to me, they’re not able to separate the performance from the character … which in a weird way is a compliment, I guess, that I was able to accomplish something in that I am in fact acting,” he said.
Of course, if you’ve watched the likes of American Horror Story, Succession, The Handmaid’s Tale, House of Cards, or Gossip Girl, you will have seen Birney’s face. However he had minor roles for most of his television work, so fans may not remember him.
He added that he has seen sharply different responses, including people saying the movie shouldn’t have been made, or that it is irresponsible to tell that specific story.
Blue Film controversy
Blue Film, Elliot Tuttle’s debut feature, was made on a budget under $100,000. It was shot in 2024, before premiering to critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Film Festival last summer.
The film later struggled to secure a buyer, before being picked up earlier this year by Obscured Releasing.
It was released in select theatres in May and is now available to rent or buy on digital platforms, with a UK release date being announced for later in 2026.
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