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The Flamingo

  • Rated Not Rated
  • 1hr 19m

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Runtime:

1hr 19m

Synopsis

In her late sixties, Mary Phillips boldly seeks pleasure; attending dungeon parties, engaging in intimacy with strangers through her BDSM practice. The Flamingo is more than just a coming-out story; it's a deep dive into Mary's world, where she offers healing touch and guidance to others, challenges society's notions of aging and female sexuality, and explores the complexities of intimacy and self-embodiment. Over glasses of pink lemonade, by the bonfire, and in the most vulnerable moments, Mary's joie de vivre and compassion shine through, even as she navigates the uncertainties of finding love on her terms. Shot in an observational style, the film ultimately offers a new way of seeing, processing, and understanding the experience of aging with pleasure.

Letterboxd User Reviews

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RATINGS N/A FANS
  • Nov 8, 2025

    I'm possibly a little biased, because this film was made by a friend, but it's very good. I've seen other documentaries about the BDSM community, but none centering on a very ordinary-looking Salt Lake City divorcée in her mid-sixties. Mary Phillips doesn't charge for her…

    5 Likes
    Kathy Fennessy
    Kathy Fennessy
    Feb 6, 2025

    Truly might be one of the best documentaries I've ever watched. In all fairness, I have loosely been within the BDSM scene so practically, I haven't heard anything "new". Yet the way it was shot and directed somehow made me feel validated for someone FINALLY seeing the…

    3 Likes
    gravity_grave
    gravity_grave
    Dec 19, 2024

    Not really my kind of movie per se but Mary is a wildly interesting protagonist and just listening to her speak about her life and experiences was incredibly engaging. The cinematography is subtly beautiful, never showing off but carrying a lot of weight. I saw this in…

    3 Likes
    Caden
    Caden
  • Oct 18, 2024

    It is a modern coming-of-age film, but Mary is in her 60’s and post-divorce from a conservative marriage. She has come to a new side of herself where she can explore desire, eroticism, playfulness, and power in a variety of relationships with herself and others. She is…

    2 Likes
    femme_disaster
    femme_disaster
    Sep 20, 2025

    “I always tell people, ‘I’m going to love you for twenty minutes’”

    1 Likes
    shira
    shira
    Apr 13, 2025

    intimate, quirky, touching. the visual style is also really special - reminiscent of ulrich seidl's In the Basement (Im Keller), but with more charisma.

    1 Likes
    jenny_jo
    jenny_jo
  •
    Apr 12, 2025

    even the fridge door had flamingo handles! what a beautiful doc, made with so much integrity and the director had soo much grace. it def challenged my conceptions of an aging body and that there is always new things to enjoy within one’s body.

    1 Likes
    n_alaleh
    n_alaleh
    Apr 11, 2025

    I wonder how many people in this theater knew the things she was cleaning were sounding rods

    1 Likes
    Walker Banaszak
    Walker Banaszak
    Feb 16, 2025

    Excellent. Watch it.

    1 Likes
    Dan S
    Dan S
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Frequently Asked Questions

How long is The Flamingo?
The movie is 1hr 19min long.
What's The Flamingo about?
In her late sixties, Mary Phillips boldly seeks pleasure; attending dungeon parties, engaging in intimacy with strangers through her BDSM practice. The Flamingo is more than just a coming-out story; it's a deep dive into Mary's world, where she offers healing touch and guidance to others, challenges society's notions of aging and female sexuality, and explores the complexities of intimacy and self-embodiment. Over glasses of pink lemonade, by the bonfire, and in the most vulnerable moments, Mary's joie de vivre and compassion shine through, even as she navigates the uncertainties of finding love on her terms. Shot in an observational style, the film ultimately offers a new way of seeing, processing, and understanding the experience of aging with pleasure.