"100 Nights of Hero": A Queer Fantasy Romance Reimagining of Classic Folklore Arrives in Theaters

"100 Nights of Hero" represents a bold creative venture in contemporary cinema, offering audiences a genre-bending romantic fantasy that weaves together elements of historical drama, dark comedy, and queer romance. Directed by Julia Jackman and based on Isabel Greenberg's graphic novel "The One Hundred Nights of Hero," the film itself draws inspiration from the classical Middle Eastern narrative collection "One Thousand and One Nights," reimagining its themes of storytelling, agency, and survival through a distinctly modern and LGBTQ+-affirming perspective.

The film premiered as part of the 2025 Venice Film Festival and is set to open in today. With its all-female creative team behind the camera—including director Julia Jackman, cinematographer Xenia Patricia , and editors Amelie Labreche and Oona Flaherty—the production itself embodies the themes of women's creative agency that permeate the narrative.

The film is set within a deliberately absurd and oppressive patriarchal society centered around the worship of an arrogant deity named BirdMan, portrayed in a cameo by Richard E. Grant. Within this world, Cherry, played by Maika Monroe, is a young woman whose entire existence is defined by her utility as a wife and potential mother. Despite being intelligent and accomplished—described as chaste, an excellent chess player, and skilled at traditional domestic tasks—Cherry's primary value in her society lies in her reproductive capacity.

Cherry's marriage to Jerome, portrayed by Amir El-Masry, is immediately troubled. Jerome shows no interest in consummating the marriage, rendering Cherry unable to fulfill her designated societal role. When religious authorities known as the Beaked Brothers, disciples of BirdMan, impose a deadline of 100 nights for Cherry to conceive an heir, Jerome responds not with concern but with callous indifference. He makes a wager with his friend Manfred, played by Nicholas Galitzine: Jerome will leave on business for 100 days, during which time Manfred will attempt to seduce Cherry. Should Manfred succeed, he wins both Cherry and Jerome's castle, and the two men agree to have Cherry executed for infidelity. If Manfred fails, he will provide Jerome with an heir and testify to its legitimacy.

The film's central queer dynamic emerges through Cherry's relationship with her maid and best friend Hero, portrayed by Emma Corrin. Rather than succumbing to Manfred's seduction attempts, Cherry and Hero devise a subversive plan: Hero will tell continuous stories each night that will lull Manfred into sleep, mirroring the narrative structure of "One Thousand and One Nights." Through these embedded narratives, Hero recounts the tale of three sisters—daughters of a sea captain with no male heir—who are trained for marriage but secretly develop a forbidden skill: the ability to read and write.

One of these sisters, Rosa, is portrayed by pop star Charli XCX. Rosa's story within the story involves her brief happiness with a merchant suitor, which is destroyed when she inadvertently reveals her literacy. This transgression results in the execution of Rosa and her sisters, a narrative consequence that directly mirrors the danger Cherry and Hero face should their own intellectual and creative capacities be discovered.

The emotional and romantic connection between Cherry and Hero forms the emotional core of the film. As Hero shares stories night after night, the bond between the two women deepens, transcending the servant-mistress dynamic and evolving into a profound emotional intimacy. This relationship represents the film's most significant departure from traditional heteronormative narratives, centering queer female desire and connection as the primary source of meaning and salvation within the story.

The ensemble cast brings considerable talent and nuance to their roles. Maika Monroe embodies Cherry with a quality of wide-eyed innocence that gradually transforms as she discovers her own agency and capacity for resistance. Emma Corrin brings sharpness and intelligence to Hero, portraying the maid as the true architect of resistance and the emotional anchor of the narrative. Nicholas Galitzine plays Manfred with a sleazy charm, creating a character who is simultaneously ridiculous and threatening.

The inclusion of Charli XCX as Rosa marks a notable cross-cultural moment, bringing a contemporary music figure into the classical narrative structure. Felicity Jones appears in a brief but symbolically significant cameo as "the moon, "appearing in the film's bittersweet conclusion.

At its core, "100 Nights of Hero" engages with fundamental questions about women's agency, creativity, and survival. The film presents storytelling itself as a form of resistance—a tool through which women can protect themselves, preserve their identities, and ultimately claim their freedom. By adapting "One Thousand and One Nights," a text historically centered on a woman using narrative to survive patriarchal violence, Jackman creates a contemporary meditation on why these stories remain urgent.

The film's satirical approach to its patriarchal setting—with its absurd deity BirdMan and the ridiculous logic of the wager—allows for both comedic critique and genuine emotional stakes. The humor serves not as mere entertainment but as a tool for exposing the fundamental illogic and cruelty of systems that reduce women to their reproductive and domestic utility.

Early critical responses have praised the film's genre-bending approach and its balance of satirical humor with genuine emotional depth. The film has been described as "a fresh fairy tale with satirical bite" that "seamlessly balances its droll humour with a warm queer sensibility." Director Julia Jackman has demonstrated "great panache" and proven herself "a great storyteller," with particular praise for her keen eye for composition and snappy editing.

The film arrives at a moment when audiences increasingly seek narratives that center marginalized perspectives and challenge heteronormative storytelling conventions. By grounding its queer narrative within a classical literary tradition and combining it with contemporary sensibilities, "100 Nights of Hero" offers both entertainment and cultural commentary.