Who's that ... boy? The thriller Transfixed heralds the arrival of an exciting--and androgynous--new presence in world cinema.

There's a scene in Patrice Chereau's Son Frere in which the hero confronts an androgynous youth wandering through a hospital corridor in agony over the operation he's about to undergo. The scene is jug a minute long, but it was obvious that the actor playing this curious yet compelling figure was someone to reckon with. His name is Robinson Stevenin, and now with the release of Transfixed it's plain to see that he's a major star in the making. As with all truly memorable movie actors, you simply can't take your eyes off of him.

Directed by Francis Girod, Transfixed is a psychological thriller about a trans-sexual cabaret performer and part-time prostitute named Bo (Stevenin), who's in thrall to an exceedingly rough piece of trade named Johnny (Stephane Metzger). A hustler-thief whose specialty is fleecing his older female clients, Johnny would appear to be implicated in the series of murders among Bo's circle of friends. Not that he's the only suspect--in fact, the chief inspector assigned to the case (Richard Bohringer of Diva fame) may well be the person for whom he's supposed to be looking. That tantalizing prospect aside, Johnny is bad news for Bo. Yet she can't stay away from him.

It's entirely to Stevenin's credit that he makes this mixture of bravado and self-destruction not only believable but palpable. And it's to Girod's credit that he gives this subculture within a subculture respectful treatment. Transfixed is compelling and will give viewers who've never given a thought to this demimonde plenty to think about. As for Stevenin, I can't wait to see what he's going to do next.

Ehrenstein is the author of Open Secret: Gay Hollywood, 1928-2000.