Writer-director Carmen Emmi handcuffs obsession to power in this confident debut set in ‘90s New York, detecting erotic fixations in homophobic policing. With one furtive eye on William Friedkin’s cult classic Cruising, Plainclothes searches fuzzy videotape surveillance footage for forbidden desire.

Premiering at Sundance, this indie is a sensitive look at the lifecycle of an imperfect match. Director Ira Sachs based the script on his own personal relationship, but transcends the personal aspects of his experience to form a universal and resonant look at the bonds formed through a partnership.