I honestly think this might be the first time I’ve actually enjoyed a proper horror BL. I’ve checked out a few others in the past, but they usually felt a bit unpolished or amateurish—I can’t even remember their names, to be honest. This one is definitely a slow-burn rather than a fast-paced romance, tucked away inside a world of supernatural mysteries and fantastic secrets. You can tell the production is high-quality and well-researched; it feels like the creators really pushed themselves to give the audience something fresh. If you’re into BLs mixed with suspense and ghost stories, this is right up your alley. Just a heads-up: it’s a massive time investment. There are 12 episodes, each over 75 minutes, and the finale is basically a two-hour movie. The story follows Khem, a young guy in his twenties whose life is getting harder by the second because of a heavy family curse that lets him see ghosts. There’s this terrifying rule in his family where the boys don’t live past age 20, so hi...
From a story perspective, it is easy breezy. The focus of this is the Bulgarian Roma guys who are here working in Vienna and looking for living. None of these guys came to Vienna thinking of becoming a prostitute but its the circumstances that made them do it. All these guys get together in a bar/club every night which is where they find most of their customers. They are all straight, have wife and kid back home, even though they are all very young. They know they are young and good looking and they call it 'doing business' to make a clear distinction between work and pleasure. We hear different members recounting some of their memorable experiences where they met weird customers or made lot of money and how did it all start. Sure, there is no ray of hope in the end to get out of this work but they have learnt to be content.
Unlike most hustler films, this documentary focuses on connection rather than alienation. There is a ray of comfort in their feeling of togetherness with their pals, despite being so far from home. They are friends, brought together by destiny and work and they can share their dreams, stories and fears with each other. They are away from home, young, free and restless, but having responsibilities back home at the same time. They sell their bodies as if that’s all they have. The thing that warms them, so far from home, is the feeling of togetherness. But the nights are long and unpredictable. When the film started, I thought the guys were all arabic or middle eastern because they al had this very sharp looks but I guess Bulgarian Roma guys have the same look too.
An interesting insight and view point of how and why guys get into hustling business. I am shocked to see how some of these guys make thousand of euros. I guess there are all kinds of consumers. (5/10)
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