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 cousin of a member of the rival group who lives in the same building as her.
Les Meilleures provides examples of the following tropes:
- Ambiguously Absent Parent: Nedjma and Leila's father isn't ever seen nor mentioned. It's left unclear what became of him.
- Big Sister Instinct:
- Zina's cousin is very protective of her. Considering the awful prank Nedjma's group did to her, this is fully justified, and she acts a lot like Zina's big sister.
- Nedjma too is protective regarding her little sister Leila, who's fourteen. She thinks Leila is trying to grow up too fast.
- Bittersweet Ending: Nedjma gets back with Zina, though in secret, embracing her feelings but unable to be open. We don't know how things are going to work out for them long term, if at all.
- 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 cousin 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 cousin. 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.
- Forced Out of the Closet: Nedjma is outed when her friends find her kissing Zina, her secret girlfriend.
- 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.
- The Generation Gap: Nedjma's mother says to her that she doesn't get her generation, who embrace Islam while also judging each other harshly, as she left Algeria with her sister to have more freedom.
- Heteronormative Crusader: Everyone but Zina's cousin mocks, harasses and shuns Nedjma after word gets out that she kissed a girl.
- Incompatible Orientation: Nedjma kisses her friend Sidiki, a boy she plays soccer with, though it's very clear she's not into it and is just forcing herself. As he starts to move toward having sex with her, Nedjma stops it and leaves, going back to her girlfriend.
- 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.
- I Want Grandkids: Nedjma's mother expects that she'll find a nice man to have a family with, not knowing that she's in a lesbian relationship.
- Laundromat Liaisons: Several discussions between Nedjma and other characters, and an eventual gang confrontation, happen at the local laundromat.
- Lesbian Jock: Nedjma likes soccer, playing often with a boy she knows. She falls for a girl, which is the focus of the film.
- Lingerie Scene: Nedjma and Zina both take off their shirts, showing their bras, prior to having sex. In keeping with Nedjma's more masculine style, she has on a sports bra, while feminine Zina's is a standard one.
- Lipstick Lesbian: Zina is a demure teenage girl with a feminine hairstyle and clothing, falling for tomboy Nedjma. It's indicated she's already embraced being into girls as she has no hesitation, unlike Nedjma, about dating her and even initiates sex (making it possible Zina's slept with a girl prior to this already).
- 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.
- Making Love in All the Wrong Places: Nedjma and Zina have Their First Time while on their rooftop hideaway
- Masculine–Feminine Gay Couple: Nedjma is a tomboy who puts up a tough exterior. She and Zina, a much more feminine girl, fall for each other, becoming girlfriends secretly.
- Modesty Bedsheet: After they have Their First Time Zina and Nedjma lie under a blanket together which is drawn up to their chests.
- Out of the Closet, Into the Fire: After she's outed as being into girls, all of Nedjma's friends and her sister (for a time) shun her, while she's mocked by many neighbor kids too who harass her.
- 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.
- Tanktop Tomboy: Nedjma is a tomboy who wears tanktops and soccer jersies often. She acts tough and enjoys soccer, while also being into girls.
- 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.
- Their First Time: Nedjma and Zina tenderly have sex on their rooftop hideaway together after both embrace their attraction for each other.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Nedjma keeps her hair long, but otherwise she's quite tomboyish and wants to maintain a "tough girl" image with her gang, while playing soccer with Sidiki, a neighbor boy, pretty often. Zina meanwhile is the most "conventionally feminine" of the two, though ironically she has slightly shorter hair.
- 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.
