Atanaria
Maxime Govare and Cédric Le Gallo’s Les Crevettes Pailletées is not just a comedy—it is a dazzling, heartfelt, and profoundly joyful homage to LGBTQIA+ culture, identity, and resilience. What could have been a lighthearted “fish-out-of-water” sports comedy instead emerges as an irresistibly moving celebration of queer community, flamboyance, humor, and solidarity.
The film begins with Matthias Le Goff (Nicolas Gob), a world-class swimmer punished for a homophobic remark, forced to coach an underdog gay water polo team, The Shiny Shrimps. At first glance, it looks like a familiar set-up: the serious, straight-laced outsider colliding with a flamboyant band of misfits. But what unfolds is something far richer, funnier, and deeply touching—a portrait of queer life painted with affection, exuberance, and unapologetic color.
The “Shrimps” themselves are a riotous, sparkling ensemble: each character representing not just a type, but a lived reality within the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. From the former Act Up activist scarred but unbowed, to the shy youth tentatively discovering himself, to the extravagant trans character whose very presence is a hymn to individuality—the film gives each their moment in the sun. And crucially, it does so without ever demanding they conform to any so-called “normality.” Unlike countless mainstream comedies, there is no need for redemption through heteronormativity here. Difference is not only accepted—it is exalted.
What makes Les Crevettes Pailletées so remarkable is its audacity to embrace camp, laughter, and excess while still delivering moments of genuine emotional resonance. It dares to laugh with clichés rather than at them, spinning them into affirmations of pride and resilience. Its humor is infectious, its energy uncontainable, and beneath its outrageous sparkle lies a beating heart that affirms life, love, and community.
This film is more than entertainment—it is a glittering declaration of visibility. It insists, with warmth and joy, that LGBTQIA+ lives are worthy of celebration, that laughter is a weapon against prejudice, and that chosen families are as powerful and precious as any tradition. Watching Les Crevettes Pailletées feels like being invited to the best queer party in town: one where everyone is welcome, everyone is seen, and everyone leaves with their spirits lifted.
In short, “Les Crevettes Pailletées” is a great homage to queer culture—outrageously funny, deeply moving, and triumphantly human. It does not merely tell a story of tolerance; it explodes with pride, glitter, and joy. A cinematic love letter to LGBTQIA+ identity, this is a film to treasure.
