Jim is a superstar gay influencer in Paris with 20 million followers. Sculpted by gym training with a chiseled chest, glutes, and rock-hard muscles, he reigns at the top of the pyramid of desire. But when he contracts a new STD called ‘heterosis,’ which causes him to lose his muscles and become straight within three weeks, his fans quickly turn their backs on him. As he struggles to find a cure, the only one who stays by his side is Lucien, the closeted young man he used to ignore. Jim Queen, which set the Lumiere Theatre ablaze with excitement at this year’s Cannes, is an animated satire that bitingly captures the harsh reality of the contempt and discrimination that persist even within minority communities. Amid a relentless barrage of parodies, it captures the fear of AIDS, homophobia, the anxiety of coming out, and even the hypocrisy of state power. Instead of hatred and envy, it delivers a witty yet biting wake-up call about true liberty through self-acceptance and solidarity. (PARK Sungho)