Departures Review: Authentic Break-Up Film

Departures follows Benji, a lost in life individual who finds his life turned upside down when he meets a man in an airport departure lounge.

It was an all-encompassing love affair that always took place over a long weekend once a month in Amsterdam, where Jake would pay for them both to fly out over there and spend their time together (albeit, not seeing any sights; it was mostly in the bedroom). 

At the start, it’s very fun where it feels fresh and new for Benji, who’s spending time with someone he is developing feelings for. Jake, on the other hand, won’t show any public display of affection towards Benji. The two are in Amsterdam, after all; why can’t they spend their days kissing by the gorgeous canals instead? In reality, Jake is harbouring a secret at home that Benji is too blindsighted to see, but Jake is very good at keeping quiet about it. 

There’s a lot of depth and substance to Benji, which makes Departures that bit more enjoyable. We meet his most recent ex Jake, which is what the majority of the story revolves around, but we also meet the rest of his exes. We get a sense of what he really likes behind that “bad boy” stereotype he’s been going for since he first realised he was gay. Every one of his exes is different, but they’re opinionated; they have something to say. Benji has been through every high and every low and in the 89 minutes in which we follow him, we get an intimate look at these failed relationships to see where it all went wrong. Eyre-morgan couldn’t get any better at playing a character like Benji. Departures is based on both his and his co-directors’ (Neil Ely) stories of growing up as gay men in a world that is unforgiving, so at times, Eyre-morgan is just playing himself.

Eyre-morgan and Tag have great chemistry when they’re on screen together, which is refreshing to see as Tag had never played a gay man before. The rest of the cast are also great in their short, but notable, scenes. Lorraine Stanley especially, whom we all know and love as Karen in Eastenders, plays the attentive mother of Benji, but we unfortunately don’t get to see her enough. Olly Rhodes and Jacob Partali, the actors who play the younger versions of Benji and Jake, are both perfect and believable as the main characters’ teenage counterparts. 

Whilst Departures is a story that on the surface could be extremely comparable to relationship stories already out there, it manages to be unique and authentic. There are traits in both Benji and Jake that are instantly recognisable in my friends. The falling for the wrong man just because he shows interest for a second when he’s not actually interested, the bathroom hookups, the spiral after ending something with someone you loved. Comedic lines are spliced in between the harder to digest moments, but it doesn’t overshadow them. When Benji ends up in a not-so-nice situation it’s addressed, we take it in, and then we can move on to the next thing. It’s extremely raw to see gay men go through these experiences on screen, especially when so many films sugarcoat what it’s like.  

Departures is a rollercoaster of emotions, but by the end, you’re hopelessly optimistic for Benji to find exactly what he wants, and needs from a relationship.

Departures had its World Premiere at BFI Flare on March 23, 2025 and will be screened again on March 29-30. Read our BFI Flare reviews and our list of 10 movies to watch at BFI Flare 2025!