Àsia (left) and Eloïse (right)
Àsia is a young female Spanish student with a boyfriend. Then she encounters Eloïse, a quiet loner disdained by the other students. After seeing a request to model for an art student, Àsia accepts it and discovers that Eloïse is the artist. Despite initial reluctance, Àsia begins modeling for her, and she quickly warms up to the other girl. What begins as a friendship slowly grows into romance, with Àsia drawn to Eloïse yet also dealing with great anxiety over her newfound feelings.Examples:
- All of the Other Reindeer: Eloïse is shunned as a weirdo and "dyke" by other students. Initially it doesn't seem to affect her, though after Àsia comments about it she says of course it does, as she'd have to be inhuman otherwise. Eloïse simply keeps her pain about it hidden.
- Ambiguously Bi: It's left vague as to whether Àsia is attracted by her boyfriend, or indeed men generally. She cares about him, but their relationship (from her at least) is not much different than friends (aside from a few kisses, which he mostly initiates, they aren't intimate onscreen).
- The Big Damn Kiss: Àsia and Eloïse finally kiss after much obvious attraction when they're caught in the rain.
- Bisexual Love Triangle: It's left unclear if she actually loves him romantically (or, indeed, even likes men that way), but Àsia is initially dating Nathaniel but then becomes attracted to Eloïse and begins seeing her secretly too. It's left unresolved as all this makes Àsia anxious over her homophobic loved ones learning enough to kill herself before breaking up with Nathaniel as she'd told Eloïse she would.
- Bury Your Gays: Àsia kills herself in anxiety over her mother learning that she's with Eloïse.
- Character Title: The original title was simply "Eloïse", whom the protagonist Àsia begins dating.
- Closet Key: Àsia shows no sign of ever finding women attractive before meeting Eloïse, who stirs desire in her.
- Disappeared Dad: Àsia's dad died in a car accident when she was a child. Even prior to this her mother got sole custody of her, and forbade him from visiting Àsia, but he did anyway one last time.
- Downer Ending: Àsia kills herself, with her loved ones left behind devastated. Rubbing it in, the film ends with a fantasy sequence where she goes off with Eloïse on a trip instead.
- Erotic Dream: Àsia has one of her swimming naked with Eloïse in the pool.
- Fantasy Sequence: The film closes on one. Àsia and Eloïse are seen going off on a trip together instead of the former dying by suicide.
- Forbidden Love: Àsia's social circle (her mom and friends) make clear they're against same-sex relationships, which results in great anxiety from her when she falls for a girl and begins a relationship with her. When it's discovered, Àsia's fearful enough to kill herself.
- Forced Out of the Closet: At the end, Àsia's found to be involved with another girl. She's anxious over her loved ones' reactions to the point of suicide.
- Forceful Kiss: Àsia grabs and kisses one of her female friends at a party, to her shock. This is an early sign she's attracted to girls.
- Gayngst: Àsia, after having had sex with Eloïse, is very conflicted about what happened, knowing that her loved ones won't approve. Eloïse is naturally dismayed with this reaction. She later continues her relationship with Eloïse though, accepting her feelings. However, discovery by her homophobic mother and then being faced with her boyfriend causes her to kill herself in anxiety.
- Gayngst-Induced Suicide: Àsia steps into the street and lets a car strike her, distraught after her mother and boyfriend discover her relationship with Eloïse, an issue she'd felt great anxiety over. She later dies from her injuries while in the hospital.
- Hairy Girl: Àsia and Eloïse have partly unshaved pubic hair it turns out when the two appear naked.
- Heteronormative Crusader: Àsia's friends make disgusted comments about Eloïse being a lesbian, and when they see her kissing a young woman. This results in great anxiety from Àsia when she's attracted to Eloïse and they begin a relationship, which is kept hidden. Her mother also wholly disapproves of it.
- How We Got Here: The film starts by showing Àsia's mother in the hospital after she gets in an accident. It's then shown how this happened and what led up to the event. It was actually suicide.
- Intimate Artistry: Eloïse asks Àsia to model nude for her, and she agrees. In the studio she also sees drawings which Eloïse did of her past girlfriend in the nude too. This helps them realize they have a mutual attraction and becoming a couple.
- The Modest Orgasm: Àsia gasps very softly when Eloïse eats her out during their second time having sex.
- Ms. Fanservice: Àsia and Eloïse are both quite attractive young woman. They meet when Àsia agrees to model for Eloïse, which includes being fully nude. Later, they also swim naked and are shown entirely nude, then show partial nudity after having sex. They show partial nudity during a sex scene too.
- Not Staying for Breakfast: Àsia, on waking up with Eloïse the first time after they have sex, sneaks out while she's sleeping. However, as it's Àsia's apartment, she then goes back, offering her a shower and breakfast, though it's very awkward between them and Eloïse leaves without eating, clearly hurt by how Àsia acts embarrassed of being with her.
- Opposites Attract: Àsia has pale skin, a more conventional feminine style, is shier, somewhat reserved and outwardly friendly from the start. Eloïse has olive skin, a more tomboyish, slightly grungy look, she's bolder, freespirited and at first doesn't look very friendly as her peers shun her as a weirdo.
- Queer Romance: Àsia becomes attracted to another woman, Eloïse, then begins a secret romance with her.
- Parental Abandonment: Eloïse's parents are artists like her who travel frequently all over the world, with her left behind in her grandmother's care. She used to travel with them, but it didn't give her a stable education.
- Rape and Switch: Àsia's friends joke cruelly that perhaps Eloïse became a lesbian from being raped.
- Romantic Rain: After getting caught in the rain together, Àsia and Eloïse kiss before they have sex.
- R-Rated Opening: Inverted. The very last shot prior to the credits is of Àsia swimming entirely naked.
- Secret Relationship: Àsia keeps her relationship with Eloïse secret due to homophobia from her loved ones.
- Skinny Dipping: Eloïse leads Àsia to swim around naked in a hotel pool after hours with her.
- Their First Time: Àsia and Eloïse sleep together the first time after their kiss in the rain. For Àsia at least, it's her first time with a woman (or possibly anyone, since it's left unclear if she slept with Nat).
- Tragic Keepsake: Àsia's mother gives her girlfriend Eloïse the drawing she had done as a momento after she dies.
