Movie Reviews -
Gay Themed

When the film starts, we are told that even though the film is released in 2012, it was actually made back in 1994. The movie had disappeared and was found and completed and eventually released. Its a true blue gay romantic film, which surprisingly is as relevant as today as it was probably in 2012 or even 1994 when it was originally made.  Peter is a pianist working on his new piece. After just one date, he falls in love with Bill. Peter has had many relationships in the past, but Bill is also harboring a secret. He was very close to his friend once, who came out to him as gay and eventually died. Bill has been unable to move past this and Peter wonders of Bill is in fact gay or he just thinks he is. He becomes determined that Bill choose the right way for himself to live and to love. When a young woman, Jill moves into their building, Peter puts his plan into effect. At the same time Bill is trying hard to make his relationship with Peter work and is unaware of the plan that Pete...

Its always hard to take sides when suddenly a married couple breaks up after years of being together, and this task gets especially hard after the fact that the husband turns out to be gay. The sympathies go with the male, of course, but what about he female. Even though the title of the show says "His Story", to be honest, what I felt was that the story was more of a "Her Story" because almost everything is told from the wife's perspective. There is nothing wrong in that, but I would have loved it even more if there was more of an exploration done from the husband's point of you, given the show title and of course my personal interest. Despite this, the series has approached the subject of homosexuality in Indian context with sensitivity, highlighting some of the inherent prejudices and trying to address them as best as possible in the limited timeframe. Sakshi and Kunal are a South-Bombay power couple who are running a restaurant business together. Sakshi ...

A story about four friends - one lesbian couple and the other gay couple and what happens on this lives over the course of a period. The concept of the film was good and was done very simply, but the acting was somewhere just average and at places the reactions felt awkward and weird and just out of place. The film is unnecessarily stretched and could easily be shortened.  Marina and Anna are a lesbian couple celebrating ten years of togetherness. Marina's best friend is Stephan, who has been with Tony for about the same amount of time. The lesbian couple wants to have a baby but disagree on who should be the mother, which starts various rifts between them. Marina asks Stephan for his seed, but he is not ready for it. He suggests artificial insemination but Marina doesn't that that kind of money. To help her with money, Stephan starts to trick and sell himself. When Tony finds out, he is heart broken and leaves him. When Marina hears about this, she realizes that unconsciously ...

This 2001 documentary chronicles the life of one of the "forgotten" stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, William Haines, who sacrificed his Hollywood fame when he refused to end his relationship with another man. The story starts with his childhood and how he was always charming and witty and people would always love to meet him and hang out with him. Between 1926-35, he was an affable young leading man in the silent films with cocky charm and a self-depreciating comic touch. He enjoyed many hits. This was after he spent considerable time in NY with hippies and gay/drag culture and being noticed by an agent. His career went for a downfall after a series of bad choices including very openly 'sissy' characters. Soon rumors started and he was given an ultimatum by MGM that either he gets married or his contracted will end. Haines, who had a boyfriend of many years refused to do so and eventually lost the contract, never to star in any film ever again. But his close frien...

This film is a a strange case of being a weirdly odd film yet funny in many instances. And funny not hahaha, but chuckle and situational funny comedy. Now, what Ia m not sure is that whether this was intentioned this way or not. I have a LOT of problems with the story line, but if I keep that aside for now, this wasn't a bad film, but not a great one either. Armand is a 40- something gay middle age fat guy, who's life is going nowhere. He is into older guys but is tired of meaningless sex. He binge eats and also job wise he is just doing ok. One night he sees 4 thugs troubling young 16 year old Curly. HE saves her, by paying money off to the thugs and in turns becomes an unlikely white-knight. Curly develops a huge crush on him and makes strong sexual advances. And before. You know Armand also wants to explore the bi-side of him. Since the parents would have none of this, after multiple tries, Armand manages to elope with Curly. After a few awkward sexual tries, they make it ha...

Now this is the kind of all gay film that I remembered watching back in 2009/20 time frame. Campy trash, my guilty pleasure, with hot. Perfect body guys and a bit of story also to go along with it. I am actually surprised at myself that I didn't find this film half as bad as the reviews online were, despite watching it in 2021. Yes, there are all the cliches, but there is actually an alright story behind all the fluff and makeup. After all, how many gay murder mysteries have you seen before? The story is set in a loft complex where all the residents are gays. An alpha male Justin, who has recently lost his older professor boyfriend is talk of the town, as he is young, sexy and is sleeping around making his way to anyone and everyone. His close friends want to set him up with a new resident Jim, who also happens to be a private detective. We meet a few other characters , but things get weird when Justin's corpse is found floating in the swimming pool. His close friend Gene hopes...

This little sitcom series was such a pleasant surprise. I had absolutely minimal expectations, and as I have said multiple times, this is usually a good thing. Comprising of 31 episodes of ten minutes approx each, this sitcom style narrative is funny, just lightly OTT, is entertaining and well acted (for most part). Yes, after the initial euphoria dies, it feels like its being stretched fo Ron reason, but more on that later. A mother has single handedly raised her two kids, so when her son Ba Do is retiring from US, bringing along a "wife" with him, she is naturally excited to meet them. But when the wife turns out to be Jackie, another boy, all hell breaks loose. Forced to acknowledge the gay couple, she sets rules that Jackie has to do whatever she says for three months and then she will decide. And there starts some very funny incidents where the mother does all sorts of manipulations to separate the couple but they are very much in love, for that to happen. We also meet B...

Documentaries are always a hot or miss. The makers really need to pick a subject that's interesting and edit in such a way that it has a story to tell, rather than random anecdotes that just fill the duration of a documentary. Sadly, this documentary falls in the latter category. I am personally not sure of the implications of the contributions this individual has had on the whole gay liberation and movement, but this documentary definitely fails to do justice to his story. April 21, 2010, Jean Le Bitoux, a major figure of homosexual activism in France, died after dedicating his entire life to the freedom of love beyond all genders. Le Gai Tapant takes us on the incredible journey of this erudite, funny and spirited fighter. Both a player and witness of many decades of struggle, Jean tells us his story of a man integral to the evolution of the gay movement in France. From his childhood in Bordeaux, to the creation of Gai Pied magazine, and including his support of the FHAR (Front H...

Let's say as it is: at 15 episodes , each of at least an hour, this was a complete waste of time. Focussing on a group of friends, there are seven stories of seven best friends whose personalities are based on the Thai description of characters associated with a particular day of the week. Each character gets 2 episodes for their story and then a rocking (read disappointing) final. And surprisingly for whatever reason, it doesn't even go in the order of the days of week. Argghhh!! TUESDAY Tue is an aspiring Muay Thai coach. On his very first day as an assistant coach he meets an old enemy and they have a faceoff. During their sports camp trio, the coach makes Tue and Ake room together to teach Tue patience so that he can be a better coach and to keep Ake in line. The actors were good and portrayed a good love hate relationship, but the story was a bit let down. I wasn't really able to connect. SUNDAY Sun agrees to help out his friend with a tutoring assignment for Nuea, who...

Said to be filmed over a period of two years, this documentary follows the journeys of seven gay men struggling with meth addiction and recovery against a backdrop of an emerging wave of HIV infection. From grappling with the drug's effects on their physical and mental health to wrestling with their darkest sexual desires, Rock Bottom delivers a chilling portrait of a community in crisis. The makers use and show us the breeding grounds for this crystal meth addiction like the bathhouses, locker rooms, porn sets and bedrooms of those for whom sex is inseparable from meth use. Our subjects freely describe the rush of empowerment and the liberation of libido that lets them enjoy sex without thought or precaution. They all, over a period of time want to get clean and connect with people and have a loving boyfriend. We see guys in different stages of their lives. Its scary to see how almost all of them understand the downside of the drug but are at a stage where they have become so depe...

Two big issues are dealt in this film: being a gay teen and police brutality against Black Americans. And then to put your point across, put things in a time loop and you come up with a film that may not be everyone's cup of tea. I understand that sometimes to make your point, you have to reiterate things again and again, but what it does sometimes is that loses people's interest, as it happened with me in this case. The film is important and relevant but somewhere loses it. Tunde Johnson is a 18 year old black teenage, who is in a secret relationship with class hunk Soren. Interestingly his best friendMarley is also having an affair with him, which Tunde knows but can't do anything about. One night tuned comes out his rich parents, who are thankfully supportive of him. All this while a new report is talking about recent brutal black killings by police. In a joyous mood, he leaves to attend a party, but gets pulled over by two white cops who verbally harass him and eventual...

This series was a breath of fresh air in many ways. No unnecessary drama, to the point focussed story, no teenage college drama, a beautiful love story and most importantly a crackling chemistry between its two very good leading pair. This show is cute, adorable, aww, with simple story and romance at its core. Jin Won is marathon runner who dreams of winning nationals. He is in college but has some issues with pacing his run. Enter, Sang Ha, a happy go lucky guy who has managed to figure out exactly how to pace in a run and is introduced as Jin Won's pacemaker. Initially disappointed in the coach’s decision, Jin Won is anything but friendly to his new partner but with time and determination, the two runners come to find they share a similar passion, both on the track and off. Soon we find out hat Sang Ha has been secretly crushing on Jin Won since school, and his passion to run also stems from the fact that he wants to be close to Jin Won. A beautiful love story Strats to brew. Tro...

This was such a nice, simple and a very subtle film. To be honest, it was a breath of fresh air which had absolutely zero drama and everything was done and shown with tiniest bit of hints. Nothing is in your face. Based in a small rural town, you can feel the pulse of the town and this is what made the film watching a very novel and new experience. And given it is barely a 70 minute film, it was just the right length for a film of this nature. Natalio is a school teacher and is loved by his colleagues and his students. The kids look up to him not only for his classes but for the extra-curricular activities he puts on. He is working on creating a school play. When an old friend Juani comes to visit, rumors start making the rounds in the town, which gets fuel to fire when Nataio and Juani sort of move in together in a house. They are shown strictly as friends with some string connection till one day they end up making out and possibly sex. Natalio also teaches private classes to a kid Mi...

An erotic Filipino film, which is also trying to tell a proper story with some redeeming qualities. To be honest with a title like this and the poster, I was half expecting a semi porn, but it had an interesting story. Lets not talk about the execution part, because there is a lot can be improved but at least the makers are trying. Inno is a young boy who tries to make money by selling clothes online with his girlfriend. His father, a  macho dancer in his days, got in an accident sometime back and is now dependent on drugs. This has made him abusive to both his wife and Inno. When they can't take it anymore, the mother takes him to a gay club where boys dance naked to make money.  He soon catches the eye of a lady named Pol, who recruits young boys for private parties. The owner then choses a boy for himself in the party who can make lot more money. Inno gets lucky and gets selected and manages to seduce the owner in the second try. The money and comfort starts getting to his ...

Musical gay genre, that too based on a manga!! I was intrigued, because this could go either way. Thankfully this show was not a complete disaster, as I was secretly expecting. It's a slow yet beautiful and gradual love story that develops between two of its protagonists while they learn to overcome their emotional wounds and grief through guitar and music. At 6 episodes of about 20-22 minutes each, this was an easy watch. Uenoyama is a popular student who plays guitar and is also part of a band. One day when he meets Mafuyu, a recluse student sitting idle at school stairs, Uenoyama reprimands him for  letting his guitar's strings rust and break. Noticing Uenoyama's knowledge of the instrument, Mafuyu pleads for him to fix it and to teach him how to play. Uenoyama eventually agrees invites him for a session with him and two other band members. The band realizes that Mafuyu has a deep sad voice and decide to make him lead singer, but something about Mafuyu keeps making Uenoy...

There aren't many gay themed thrillers, let alone good ones. I was looking forward to this film given the genre, but I have to say that this was overall a disappointment. Actually calling it psychological thriller maybe better where the two protagonists happen to be gay. There is no specific gay angle otherwise played out here. Grady is a failed actor. Bipolar and is now running a lodge in middle o nowhere making him desolate and lonely. He is looking forward to a weekend where his friends are coming over including his boyfriend.  We meet a young boy Beetle, a drifter, whom Grady buys pot from. Grady hires him for the weekend at the lodge to help him with stuff. But Beetle has his own agenda. We then meet a straight couple, who are Grady's friends and the girl used to be Grady's agent and also Andy, who we later find out is actually here to break up with Grady unlike what Grady thought of getting married. Soon we realize that Beetle starts to play his small little mind game...

Two men meeting from different worlds and falling in love is something we have seen before and in that sense this film doesn't pack any surprises, but interestingly this film focuses on a relationship that is starting to run its course and how two men who once loved each other very much are drifting apart. This is what makes the film different (doesn't mean it is good enough). HIV positive Aaron meets shy Jordan online and they decide to meet for sex. Aaron is experienced but soon its clear its first time for Jordan. They share some chemistry and exchange numbers to meet later. But in the very next scene we see that Jordan goes back to his girlfriend, hence blocking Aaron. But soon his girlfriend makes him realize that he is probably gay and that they should split. Soon after, Jordan ends up meeting Aaron totallly by chance and the two men clarify all misunderstandings with each other and start dating. The two become inseparable with some cute moments together. Jordan is comple...

This film is so confusing with its constant moving timelines. The film so often and so much , sox months apart, that attires to gets too hard to keep a track of what's being shown and what not. Touted to be a gay adaption of Pride andPrejudice, this film is lost in translation where even the actors don't seem to be interested at all in what's going on. Lee is a welder working in a factory who has ben accused of assaulting his girlfriend, thanks to false accusation of a neighbor. Th case is now closed in present times and he is doing community service. Through his closest friend Chuck, he meets Ben, an affluent lawyer at a party. Chuck soon falls for Jane, who is Ben's close friend and they are all going for hiking. Ben soon remembers that he had seen Lee at his hearing in his court case. Ben is dating George, who happened to be Lee's lawyer. Soon through a series of events, Ben finds himself getting attracted to Lee and he also finds out that George has been lying t...

Oh damn! What did I just see? Worst of worse experimental films. Its like a collage of random scenes, events with some erotica; all thrown in together without any rhyme or reason. Make a very erotic film poster to lure audience and laugh at their stupidity. Touching on some events of Bangkok in spring 2010. Two men are in a fishing boat talking about catching fish. By night, the rubber plantation also comes across as enticing and full of secrets. And this is when random scenes start filling up your screen. An angry protest in the form of a diary, where sexual resistance and erotic fantasies are juxtaposed with randomness. As a young boy in the 1970s, Thunska was already forced to flee Bangkok for the south with his mother. The film poses questions without knowing the answers, providing an unusual insight into an extremely traumatized society. What makes this so terrible is the amateur direction and lack of coherence or background information, taking audience for granted and assuming th...

This film is a tremendously tender love letter and an homage to someone who is currently in the prime of his life, who has survived so many of the life's struggles and problems and hopefully some very good times too, being being an openly gay man in a small, conservative town. The film, though slow, is a tender and moving depiction and a what if scenario of a whole lot of us showing what life possible could turn for us in absence of love, family or friends. Pat, a former hairstylist now lives in an old age home in a very small town in Ohio. One day a lawyer stops by to tell him that a posh woman Rita Parker, who used to be a big socialite and Pat's esteemed client has passed away and her dying wish was to get her hair done. Pat initially snubs him, since apparently they had a fall out but next day changes his mind and runs away form the home, with whatever little money he has. He makes a shopping list of things that he needs, more as an excuse to visit his old joints and haunts...

The story of a lonely, confused, adrift teenager trying to survive in the big bad world of New York streets is what this film is about. Sadly, even though the premise is interesting, there is no real story to speak of. Its just a sequence of events that take the narrative forward that show the numerous dangers and negotiations one has to do on a day basis to survive. Ekaj, a sixteen year, gender fluid person has an abusive boyfriend who just uses him and Ekaj somehow can't see it. Things change when he meets Mecca who takes him under his care. Mecca has AIDS and multiple problems of his own. He is high all day, stays occasionally with his cousin but still manages to be the only voice of reason in Ekaj’s hopeless world. They cruise the city together looking for money and places to stay, which includes meeting prospective clients where Ekaj gets forced into prostitution and sometimes rape. Their relationship develops into true love and care for each other. With passing time as Mecca ...

We all have gotten very accustomed to a new style of film making that is told through the social media and online conference calls, courtesy pandemic. GameBoys was definitely a pioneer in that sense. This film, I felt, was so much similar to the film is many ways that the comparison is inevitable. This film explores how once broken relationships can be repaired even during these trying times. Tom is a closeted gay man who lives alone in his Manila. Courtesy pandemic, he wants to be extra careful not meeting anyone. His only company being his best friend Gad and video calls with her. She knows he is gay. Unexpectedly, Tom's long-lost college buddy Kendrick, reconnects with him, and he is now back from Hawaii. Tom has always been secretly in love with Kendrick and this reconnection is a bittersweet feeling for him and all his emotions keep coming back. He hopes that maybe he has a chance, until Kendrick admits the reason for his homecoming is that his girlfriend broken his heart. Tom...

The term “masculinity” still continues to have a very problematic definition when it comes to homophobia and misogyny. In that sense, the first thing that you notice is the latino masculinity that the director is going for through this film. There is no gay stereotype and our protagonists are as masculine as anyone can be. A love story set in prison, lets see does this film have anything different to offer. After crossing with the mafia, Reuben is sent to prison, leaving his young daughter behind. His cellmate Carlos is not the friendliest but slowly teaches him the ways of prison and how to survive. With each passing day the two start to understand each other better and soon their relationship changes from mentor, to friendship to being lovers. But this love is cut short when its time for Carlos to get out. Some time passes before Reuben is also out. After some search, he is able to find Carlos, not knowing what the future holds for the two men. They reunite, and with a very positive ...

This Australian film is all over the pace. Centered around a group of friends and their issues and challenges,  the film focuses on unrequited love, generational discourse, sexuality and HIV and the existential angst that seemingly dominates and transcends generations.  Four, twenty something share a house in Sydney. Kat, our lead female actress also gives shelter to her teenage cousin Nate, who is thrown out of the house in the middle of night for being gay. The film starts on a very simmer note. But soon we get intertwined in the lives of multiple characters. We meet Blake, a lesbian who works in a non-profit. Kat and Blake occasionally have sexual encounters while Kat thinks she definitely prefers men. Blake, meanwhile is definitely in love with Kat. We also Sam, a gorgeous guy who is dating a very popular drag artist. Sam soon finds out that he is HIV positive and has to come to terms with what it really means to live with the stigma in today's day and age. Nate is struggl...

This was a very odd film from Germany. A film which focuses on characters rather than plot makes it for a different viewing, but the brain in me kicks in asking me what was the point behind the film. Sure the actor director wants to portray the underground Berlin LGBT party scene but shouldn't there be a point eventually. Here there ws nothing. Ezra, a young man is of Israeli/American origin who spends most of his time in drugs, clubs and underground parties in Berlin. His partner in crime is Cat, a lesbian with a girlfriend but who is open to having sex with pretty much anyone. Ezra meets young Twink boy Sasha, a boy from Russia, whom he takes under his wings. He shows him to his world of clubs and parties, a dizzying and vibrant hedonistic underground. But their relationship takes. Anew turn when Sasha realizes that he may actually be trans. Interestingly, Ezra supports Sasha while he/she goes on this journey while Ezra continues with his hedonistic journey and we as audience are...