An outrageous lesbian pop musical satire inspired by the pop frenzy of the early 2000s, QUEENS OF DRAMA charts the rise and fall of new star Mimi Madamour and her passionate, rage-fueled love affair with punk icon Billie Kohler. Over the course of half a century we follow these drama queens as they top the charts and set sail on the course of mad queer love. Featuring an iconic cast, including Asia Argento and Alma Jodorowsky, and containing hit songs like ‘Don’t Touch’ by Yelle and ‘Fisted to the Heart’, this film vividly dissects the turbulence of toxic relationships–whether between fans and their idols or within passionate queer love affairs. Director Alexis Langlois brings their trademark glittercore pop-punk aesthetic to create a vibrant, unforgettable spectacle of music and passion.

For in-depth thoughts on Queens of Drama, please see my colleague Cody Allen’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

Queens of Drama makes its Blu-Ray debut with a lovely 1080p video presentation in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio that showcases the visually dynamic cinematography well. The bubblegum color palette is like visual candy, and every hue appears to be dialed into its intended shade. Every shot feels like a window into the early millennium with visuals that are equally gorgeous and grotesque. The flesh tones are natural with a consistent showing across the ensemble. The image is clean with a pleasing visual language. The exaggerated period production design and the dreamy aesthetic allow for clear textural details. Black levels avoid most signs of banding outside a few fleeting moments, as they largely maintain their depth. Highlights are brilliant without veering into blooming. The presentation shows off an impressive depth of field, even if practical locales are not put into practice very much. This Blu-Ray is a cracking representation of this movie that should please fans.

Audio Quality

Altered Innocence gives this Blu-Ray a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that executes all of the nuances of this soundscape with ease. The dynamic and effective mix sounds incredible here as it both captures the playfulness of the style and the transcendent beauty of the music at the core of the narrative. The environmental sounds of this musical odyssey engage the surround speakers in a lively manner. As the characters move throughout their journey, there are some distinct ambient details that flesh out the setting. Dialogue always comes through clearly without being overpowered by any competing elements. The music is effective and well-balanced while maintaining its fidelity. There are numerous moments that deliver some nice texture to the proceedings. The audio track provides a really rich experience full of nuances that bring this narrative to life exactly how it was intended. This film is presented in the original French with optional English and Spanish subtitles.

Special Features

Short Film by Alexis Langlois: This disc provides an option to watch two short films from director Alexis Langlois, and it is cool to explore this world a bit more within the inventive imagination of the filmmaker.

- Terror, Sisters! (27:49)

- The Demons of Dorothy (29:25)

Music Video for Pas Touche! (3:36)

Camera Test Featurette: A 25-minute piece that shows the process of testing out different camera set-ups with commentary from director Alexis Langlois.

Karaoke Videos

- Pas Touche! (3:02)

- Bikeuse Amoreuse (3:25)

- Go Musclées (2:17)

- Tu Peux Toucher (3:13)

Trailers: This disc provides the Theatrical Trailer (1:37) for Queens of Drama. There are also trailers provided for She Is Conann, Eat the Night, The People’s Joker, and Dressed In Blue.

CD Soundtrack (14 Tracks, 45:46)

Final Thoughts

Queens of Drama is a whimsical kaleidoscope of unabashed sexuality, creativity, ambition, and independence. A narrative exposing the trappings of fame is nothing new, but director Alexis Langlois brings a subversive twist to the proceedings to make everything feel especially fresh and vibrant. The passion pulsating between our leads is captivating, and the music stands out as a worthy artistic achievement of its own. There is a lot at play here, but the film does an impressive job of keeping everything on the rails. Altered Innocence has released a Blu-Ray featuring a sterling A/V presentation and a nice assortment of special features. Recommended

Queens of Drama is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Diabolik DVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Altered Innocence and MVD Entertainment have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.