The short film Late in Life by award-winning queer filmmaker Ashley Gianni is proof that creativity is still well and alive in 2026. The campy VHS-inspired take on coming out later in life is formatted in the style of a ’90s instructional video. And just like the synopsis promised, this feels like a love letter to the queer community and those who find out they’re queer later on in life.
Now the heart of the short film is about coming out later in life as a lesbian. But that doesn’t mean that you have to be lesbian to appreciate or understand what you’re seeing. Because the message that I resonated with in Late in Life was one about how this happens to more people than you think, making you feel a little bit less alone in the world.
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While watching Late in Life, I also joked about how I wish I had an instructional video like this growing up. Because figuring out you’re queer when you’re young is something that shakes you. That’s especially true when we live in a world where being queer is seen as the other or can lead to some really hard situations with family if they aren’t as accepting. But figuring out that you’re queer when you’re younger means you have less lived experience that you have to deconstruct.
Coming to the realization that you are a lesbian or any part of the LGBTQ+ community later on in life means you have to shift your perspective on decades of experience. It makes you question who you are on a grander scale, if your previous relationships were actually real, and a whole myriad of things to work through if you’re married and have kids. And Late in Life is kind of this tongue in cheek hold your hand instructional video that says it’s okay.
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On the more technical side of things, when it comes to Late in Life, I love the colors chosen, the fashion, and the gentle reminder that maybe those girls you wanted to be like in your youth, you actually had a crush on. There was intentionality as well in the editing, the music chosen, and the voiceovers. Even the small games that were played in this short film were steeped in nostalgia while being funny and respectful of different experiences.
Altogether, Late in Life is a happy little escape that normalizes our experiences and makes me wish I had a gay card when I first realized I was queer after the formative experience of watching The Mummy. You know what I’m talking about.
Late in Life is screening at the 2026 HollyShorts Film Festival.
Are you excited for Late in Life? Let us know in the comments below!
Queerly Not Straight posts Saturdays on Fangirlish with opinion pieces, listicals, reviews, and more focused on the LGBT community. Posts are ONLY published on Fangirlish.
