‘Plainclothes’ Trailer – Tom Blyth Stars in Carmen Emmi’s Gay Entrapment Drama

Carmen Emmi’s feature debut Plainclothes is a gripping blend of drama, romance, and identity crisis, set in the 1990s. The film stars Tom Blyth as Lucas, a young undercover cop tasked with entrapment operations targeting gay men. His world is upended when he finds himself falling for one of his targets, played by Russell Tovey.

Supporting roles include Maria Dizzia, Christian Cooke, Amy Forsyth, Gabe Fazio, and John Bedford Lloyd.

Plainclothes world premiered in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival where it took home the Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast. The film then screened at the Provincetown International Film Festival, winning the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature. It will open in theaters with a limited release starting September 19, 2025.

Syracuse, 1997. Promising undercover police officer Lucas (Tom Blyth) is dealing with a breakup and the recent loss of his father. When he receives an assignment to lure and arrest gay men in a mall bathroom, he is surprised to discover a scintillating connection with Andrew (Russell Tovey), one of his targets. As their secret connection deepens and internal pressure to deliver arrests intensifies, Lucas finds himself torn between duty and desire. At his mother’s New Year’s Eve party, Lucas loses a letter no one was ever meant to read. With time running out and his secret life closing in around him, the evening builds towards an explosive reckoning where everything he’s buried threatens to erupt.

On his biggest inspiration behind Plainclothes, Emmi shared how deeply personal it is, saying, “My hometown (Syracuse, New York). My family, especially my brother who was becoming a police officer while I wrote the script. But also while researching this story, I read somewhere that at a certain age (maybe 12 to 13 years old), boys are taught that a punch is better than a hug. That sentiment stuck with me and really helped me form the question I set out to ask — what happens when you police your feelings?”

See the official trailer above.