Lonely scientist Harvey lives a solitary life but discovering Cherub, a magazine for larger men and their admirers, leads to unexpected confidence and joy in writer-director Devin Shears’ Cherub.
Feeling Seen
by Chris DrewCAUTION: Here be spoilers
Partly inspired by an actual Belgian publication Fat Angel Times, Cherub tells the story of Harvey (Benjamin Turnbull, debut performance), an introverted scientist who doesn’t feel people see him.
Told almost entirely without dialogue, we follow Harvey’s daily routine from his bus journey to work, his lunchtime sandwich, before evenings in his dressing gown at home.
Harvey’s lack of confidence is evident in his walking with his head bowed but it’s clear he is naturally curious about other people – passengers on the bus, a woman reading every day at lunchtime and a couple kissing at the botanical gardens.
None of these people appear to notice Harvey and that the friend or family member he regularly visits in hospital is in a coma, meaning he is not seen there either.
One day, in a moment of drama at lunchtime, the woman chokes on her apple and Harvey comes to the rescue, performing the Heimlich manoeuvre before she tenderly hugs him. It is soon clear this scenario was in Harvey’s imagination.
While watching TV one evening Harvey hears a presenter talk about people living with a fear of being humiliated, which resonates deeply.
Going into the adult video store he discovers Cherub, a magazine for larger men and their admirers. Looking through photographs of large men in their underwear, he sees an invitation to submit photographs to be Cherub of the Month in the next issue.
Surprising himself, Harvey feels compelled to enter and soon has set up a tripod while wearing angel wings and a halo. Initially appearing uncertain taking the photos, both his confidence and enjoyment gradually grow.
While out one evening he is noticed by a stranger (played by the director) and is surprised, but quietly pleased, to have his photo taken. Intrigued, he follows the man to the toilets and in adjacent cubicles their feet almost touch.
Harvey’s sexuality is not explicitly explained, we see him buy Penthouse and feel aroused by straight sex in the cinema but seeing Cherub may have awakened a further awareness about himself.
On his next visit to the adult video store, Harvey finds that his photo has been chosen as Cherub of the Month. He then feels as if passengers notice him on the bus and then imagines (amusingly) that everyone where he works is reading Cherub.
In a long beautiful shot we see Harvey ice skating where, for the first time, he appears unconcerned with other people and his confidence visibly grows as he skates gradually faster around the rink.
Receiving a thoughtful gift from ‘an admirer’ is the final positive affirmation that Harvey’s submission to Cherub has been life changing.
Crafting such wonderfully made and affecting cinema on a low budget marks Shears (who also edited the film) as a real talent to watch in the future.
Astonishingly Turnbull, in his first film, is not a professional actor. A friend of the director, his subtle and soulful performance is integral to the film’s success.
Through body language, facial expressions and reactions he makes Harvey (even without dialogue or voiceover) a fully realised character, both easy to empathise with and care deeply for.
Cherub is a moving portrayal of loneliness, of body positivity and the importance of feeling seen.
Cherub screened at the 2025 BFI Flare Festival.
