Besties (Les Meilleures in French) is a 2021 French romantic drama film directed and written by Marion Desseigne-Ravel, in her feature film debut.
Nedjma (Lina El Arabi) is an 18 year old girl of Algerian descent living in the Goutte d'Or district in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. She is part of a group with other girls, and they have a fierce rivalry with another female group. But then, over time, she grows feelings of a nature she has troubles to understand for Zina (Esther Rollande), the sister of a member of the rival group who lives in the same building as her.
Les Meilleures provides examples of the following tropes:
- Big Sister Instinct: Zina's sister is very protective of her. Considering the awful prank Nedjma's group did to her, this is fully justified.
- Closet Key: Nedjma's feelings for Zina make her realize that she isn't straight.
- Contemplation Location: The building block roof on which Nedjma and Zina fully live their love affair.
- Cyberbullying: Nedjma's group films Zina while she's in a position that looks like she's giving a guy a blowjob, then they upload the video on a social media (implied to be Instagram). A few minutes later the video has already over 150 views and nasty/mocking comments. Zina's sister is naturally furious afterwards and comes to Nedjma and her group the next day at the laundromat to teach them the hard way that you don't mess with her sister. Then Nedjma deletes the video.
- Eiffel Tower Effect: Amusingly, the story is set in Paris but the Eiffel Tower is never seen. There is, however, a shot with another of the city's instantly recognizable landmarks, the Sacré Coeur basilica of Montmartre.
- First Kiss: On the day the romance starts, after Zina throws Nedjma in a river and helps her getting out of it, they become friendly to each other. Right upon separating to go in their respective apartments, there's palpable attraction and Nedjma decides to kiss Zina on the lips. Zina lets her do it and later sends an SMS to her asking why she kissed her.
- Gay Paree: Completely averted. The views of Paris are not very picturesques outside of a shot on the Sacré Coeur basilica of Montmartre, and the story takes place in a low income district mostly inhabited by populations of non-European (mostly North African and Sub-Saharan) origin.
- Gayngst: Nedjma is deeply troubled and struggles because of her feelings for Zina, admitting to Zina that she feels like there are now "several pieces of [her]" and that her heart feels "like a jackhammer". To her, lesbianism is especially not compatible with the image of "tough girl" she wants to give off as part of her group (even after her group rejects her), and she rapidly gets mockeries once word gets out (with only Sidiki to defend her) and decides to ghost Zina for a time.
- I Want Grandkids: Nedjma's mother wants her daughter to find a "nice Algerian man" to have a family with, not knowing that she's in a lesbian relationship.
- Instant Humiliation: Just Add YouTube!: Nedjma's group films Zina while she's in a position that looks like she's giving a guy a blowjob (she isn't), then they upload the video on a social media (implied to be Instagram). A few minutes later the video has already over 150 views and nasty/mocking comments.
- Laundromat Liaisons: Several discussions between Nedjma and other characters, and an eventual gang confrontation, happen at the local laundromat.
- Loving Bully: When her group is preparing the cyberbullying of Zina, Nedjma already can't take her eyes off the photos of Zina from her social media profile.
- Peer-Pressured Bully: It's more the pressure of her group of girls than anything else that has Nedjma taking part in the cyberbullying of Zina, which she regrets afterwards.
- Pop-Up Texting: All of the SMS that are exchanged in the film appear in big letters on the screen as they are typed.
- Secret Relationship: Nedjma and Zina keep their relationship a secret, until the day Nedjma's group stumbles upon them kissing, with one of them stealing Nedjma's cellphone and looking at the SMS the two exchanged.
- Sitting on the Roof: Nedjma and Zina have their most serene, passionate and affectionate romantic encounters on the roof of the building where Nedjma lives. It's during such moments that Nedjma feels the most free to express her feelings and desire for Zina. When she tries to win Zina back after ignoring her, Nedjma puts a tent on the roof.
- Social Media Is Bad: Especially when someone films you in an embarrassing position (mimicking a blowjob) and uploads it on social media for everyone to see.
- Split-Screen Phone Call: Video conversations via cellphones are rendered with a split screen.
- Symbolic Baptism: Nedjma's romance with Zina (and self-discovery as a lesbian) starts after Zina throws her in a canal and helps her getting out of it.
- Test Kiss: While she's ghosting Zina, Nedjma goes to Sidiki's apartment and kisses him on the mouth, then she realizes she has no feelings for him (or men in general?) and promptly leaves, much to Sidiki's confusion.
- Tomboy: Nedjma isn't very stereotypically feminine past her long hair. She likes to play soccer with Sidiki for instance, and the "tough girl" image she maintains with her gang has something very masculine about it.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Nedjma keeps her hair long, but otherwise she's quite tomboyish and wants to maintain a "tough girl" image. Zina meanwhile is the most "conventionally feminine" of the two.
- Toxic Friend Influence: When she's part of her group at the beginning, Nedjma is driven to play a very nasty prank on Zina (filming her mimicking a blowjob and uploading the video on social media) but she soon comes to regret it.
