Lesbian Space Princess — NewFest Review
Source: Umbrella Entertainment
If you’ve ever watched Rick and Morty, Futurama, or pretty much anything on Adult Swim and found yourself thinking, “Wow, this is so zany and fun! But you know what would make it even better? If most of the characters were lesbians!” Emma Hough Hobbs and Leela Varghese have arrived to turn the queer, quirky animated film of your dreams into a reality with their directorial debut, Lesbian Space Princess.
The title says it all: Lesbian Space Princess is about Saira (Shabana Azeez), a lesbian living on the planet Clitopolis. She is the daughter of two lesbian queens, making her indeed a lesbian space princess. Saira's devastated after her girlfriend of two weeks, Kiki (Bernie Van Tiel), dumps her. However, the two were very much opposites because Saira is anxious, introverted, and rarely leaves home. Saira is supposed to be able to summon her labrys, a symbol of lesbian power, but has failed to do so. A group of Straight White Maliens need Saira’s labrys because it’s ostensibly the battery to power their “chick magnet,” so they kidnap Kiki to use her as bait. From there, Saira embarks on a wacky adventure to rescue Kiki, encountering a bunch of offbeat characters and circumstances along the way.
Source: Umbrella Entertainment
Viewers will be able to tell almost instantly whether or not they’ll be on this movie’s wavelength. If that brief description didn’t appeal to you, then this is not the movie for you. On the other hand, if the concept of a lesbian princess from the planet Clitopolis trying to rescue her ex from Straight White Maliens sounds amusing to you, then you’ll probably have a blast with Lesbian Space Princess.
If this movie had been released in the early 2000s, people would probably praise it as groundbreaking. Back then, we seldom saw animated films with blatantly queer characters. But even now, Lesbian Space Princess stands out for how brazen and unapologetically sapphic it is. The film is bursting at the seams with sapphic references and innuendos. It’s almost evocative of Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same with its awkward, absurd humor and sapphic space theme. However, where that film is black-and-white and live action, Lesbian Space Princess is colorfully animated. Lesbian Space Princess is also chock full of millennial humor. If you ever went through an emo phase or your coming of age coincided with the rise of Tumblr, this is the type of film that’ll leave you saying, “I wish we had more movies like this when I was younger!”
Source: Umbrella Entertainment
Lesbian Space Princess is peppy, bubbly, and cute. However, the humor is hit or miss, and not all of the jokes will work for everyone. At times, it can veer into cringe-inducing territory, and its eccentric and enthusiastic energy can easily become grating after a while. Despite its 88-minute runtime, there are moments where the story feels stretched a tad too thin. Nonetheless, this film will very much appeal to certain demographics who’ve been craving more queer animated films and love movies with silly, hyperactive humor.
Beneath its queer representation and kooky sense of humor lies an emotionally resonant story about the importance of self-love. Saira must learn to love herself instead of craving the validation she got from being in a relationship with someone like Kiki or seeking approval from her parents. The emotional heart of the film gives it lasting power because it not only offers a bold, proud portrait of lesbianism but also tells a universal and timeless tale about discovering self-worth and finding confidence.
Lesbian Space Princess is a well-crafted, colorful animated film where queer, quirky humor and emphatic lesbian representation come together in a vibrant, playful package. It may not work for everyone, but it’s destined to become a cult classic.
Lesbian Space Princess will be released in the United States on October 31, 2025.
