Finding Community in ‘Departing Seniors’
In their book A Necessary Death, co-authors Chris Grosso and Preston Fassel navigate “the human experience,” as the cover suggests. Chapter 3 is of particular note, an entry in which Preston and Grosso examine Pennywise from It as the basis for which they detail “embracing yourself and finding your own ‘Losers’ Club’.” As one of the book’s most important chapters, it encourages the reader to discover their own tribe, whether that’s online or in person.
If you’re a queer person like me, you already know how important community is for your experience. Finding one’s tribe boosts mental health, encourages openness, and helps combat hate in a terribly vicious world. The process of discovering like-minded and like-identifying folx can certainly be hard, though, sometimes leading you to feel inadequate and lonely.
I don’t know about you, but horror movies have always made me feel seen, heard, and accepted. Bonding with others over your love of the same film elevates your sense of worth and community even more; it’s intoxicating. That’s why one of the year’s best releases means so much to me. Abounding in queerness, Clare Cooney’s Departing Seniors (written by Jose Nateras), impresses upon the viewer the importance of community through the eyes of Mexican gay lead Javier, played to emotional perfection by Ignacio Diaz-Silverio, whose performance galvanizes humor and horror to marvelous effect.
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His BFF Bianca (Ireon Roach) serves as the film’s much-needed comedic relief, her zingers alleviating the tension as the masked killer begins their murder spree. But more importantly, she emerges as Javier’s community and saving grace. Bianca comforts Javier when dealing with school bullies and guides him through his non-existent love life. It’s their friendship that glues the film together; there are few friendships I adore more than theirs. Bianca and Javier exhibit exactly what makes community so damn special: there’s a closeness to their relationship you don’t see all too often, or at least executed in such a heartwarming way.
“I’ve been told / I’m heavy to hold,” sings queer indie-pop darling Peach PRC in her song “Heavy.” That sentiment surrounds Javier, particularly as Ginny (Maisie Merlock), Brad (Sasha Kuznetsov), and Trevor (Cameron Scott Roberts) make his life a living hell. After being shoved down the stairs, Javier sustains an injury that requires a neck brace. Amidst such personal turmoil, Bianca, unafraid of throwing hands in retaliation, remains the pillar on which Javier can and must lean. She’s a force to be reckoned with, proving to be the friend we all deserve.
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After Javier’s “accident,” he begins seeing visions that give him a glimpse into his classmates’ lives, while also clueing him into the killer’s next moves. When any other film character would likely question Javier’s sanity, Bianca believes him—truly and fully believes him when he says he can see visions. She doesn’t even flinch. That’s a real friend.
Friendship sticks Departing Seniors together, that authentic community built on loyalty and trust. As Javier and Bianca fall deeper into the killer’s plot, their friendship is tested but never wavers. In fact, it grows stronger, a bond that simply can’t be broken. Woven into the slasher-adjacent film, the vitality of a healthy community extends the film’s emotional undercurrent, particularly in the aftermath of one especially upsetting death sequence.
With this scene, mental health comes into clearer focus. When the killer makes a death look like a suicide, the characters contend with their guilt, especially Javier, who witnessed the death in one of his visions. He blames himself for not acting sooner, but Bianca brings clarity to the situation, reminding him that there was nothing more he could have done. An offshoot of the film’s central themes, mental health becomes wedged between the killer’s murders and gives them purpose and payoff.
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Despite the toll the bullies take on his mental well-being, Javier doesn’t want actual revenge. He might wish ill will on his enemies in a heated moment, but when the chips are down, it’s not what he actually desires. When the killer reveals themself (no spoilers!), Javier begs and pleads not to repeat cycles forced upon many queer people. He doesn’t want to kill. He only wants to be seen, heard, and accepted.
Even after he and Bianca subdue the killer, Javier doesn’t necessarily want to end their life. It’s rather that he needs desperately to hold onto his humanity. A catharsis lies in the triumph, rather than in the murder. Javier learns that commitment to community and friendship saved his life. He becomes the hero of his own story, unafraid to confront evil and unashamed of who he is. With a budding romance with William (Ryan Foreman), he’s found his people—and it further underscores the importance of community in the real world.
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Where Departing Seniors is light on blood and violence, it sure makes up for it in heartfelt storytelling about the struggles of one gay Mexican kid and his Black best friend. Their struggles become our struggles. As Javier contends with a vengeful murderer, he navigates the tumultuous waters of coming of age in a modern world, where being queer is still ostracized and where community means life or death.
And it could literally mean life or death for many of us. That’s an irrefutable truth. An inability to find community could mean an early and tragic end. It could mean never having those life-affirming experiences that lead to a fulfilling life. Javier, Bianca, and William prove that there is always hope, always a way out, and always a clear view ahead. While it might seem futile right now, films like Departing Seniors testify to the fact that it’s never the end. There is always space and community. You just might have to dig a little deeper.
Categorized:Editorials
