<title>Gay Films Review - LGBTQ+ Movie Reviews & Guides

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Showing posts from 2022

Gay Short Films : 102

Fufu (Japan) Two guys, Tasuki and Yudai, have been together for many years. Now in the prime of their life, it is getting closer to the day that Yudai will say goodbye. The memories are flashing for them of their time spent together and how they met and spent their time completely madly in love with each other. They will be together even in afterlife. Check In Do Amor (Brazil Mini Series) Renan stays on the same date and in the same hotel room every year. The situation gets complicated when there is a mistake and he is forced to share the apartment with the stubborn Gio . Initially, they hate each other, but the forced approach leads them to show their fears, their weaknesses and to fall in love with each other. This was really badly acted and directed. Amateur films are probably done better. Avoid. Closed Doors (Canada) A lonely man in a cold world develops a relationship in the most improbable of ways. When the barriers are suddenly broken, he must himself and the outside face. To Ho...

Eien no Kinou (Japanese Series) [Eternal Yesterday]

There are time when the concept makes little sense from a logic perspective, but sometimes you have to keep your disbelief aside for. Amount and watch the show for its sensitive writing and portrayal and profound message about love and grief. This is a very unique (maybe a bit unrealistic) story which is in a way a haunting tale of unrequited love in a very different scenario. This 8 part Japanese series was a very good watch for me with only 20ish minutes of every episode. I am telling you that Japanese people have figured out how to make emotional gay/BL series with giving us something new every time without making me roll my eyes. And its a win. Koichi is cheerful and popular in the class. Mitsuru, a new student, is talented and not good at socializing. The two high school students are strongly attracted to each other due to their opposite personalities and Koichi literally forces himself on Mitsuru to be his friend. They become close and spend most time together including walking t...

Being Brendo - Season 1 to 7 (Queer As F**k) (Australia)

How had I never heard or known about this? With a tagline that says 'Being gay is just the beginning', Being Brendo peers into the lives of five gay men, taking an in depth look at their lives, ups and downs, relationships, sexual escapades and daily living. Formerly known as "Queer as F**k" for the first six seasons, the show began as pilot project in 2010 to deliver sexual health promotion via short webisodes on Social networking sites to gay men, in a collaboration between the Victorian AIDS Council/Gay Men's Health Centre, Burnet Institute, University of Melbourne and X:MACHINE Productions. The project aimed to engage audiences in online discussion, to explore how social networking sites can be used to promote sexual health. The makers decided to rename the show to make it clearer and to name it something more original and less similar to the popular UK and US TV show of the same name (a little too late, IMHO) The show started with three friends Brendo, Aaron ...

Inseparable - Season 1 and 2 (Filipino Mini Series)

I am clubbing two seasons into one post because each season had just 2 episodes each of about 15 minutes. And honestly, if the show was any good, I would have thought of maybe splitting into two posts, but the show is so amateurish and basic and feels more like a school project, that I should not rate my time too much. MIco and Henry are 2 friends in countryside. Henry has no family and Mico and his family is everything t I him. WIth passing time, Mico decides to go work in the city and this breaks Henry's heart. Henry confesses his love for him and asks him to stay but Mico likes him only as a friend. But one day when he sees another guy trying to kiss Henry, Mico suddenly has feelings for him and they decide to become a couple. A few days later a very much in love Mico leaves for the city. In season 2, we see that they are happy in their long distance relationship and Mico plans a surprise for Henry by randomly showing up. Henry then wants to make their relationship public by tel...

More Than Words (Japanese Series)

This show is hands down one of the best, powerful emotional and real drama focusing on relationships in a subtle yet very sensitive manner. The writing of the show is immaculate and what a brilliant cast. This sophisticated story is masterful at navigating the blurry lines between friendship, romance, and family. Some may say that this is not a conventional BL story, but I say that you won't get a lovelier lovely gay love story which is so much more than just two men in love for each other. This show is an experience and I am sure I will not be able to do justice with my writing with everything that I felt while watching the show over a few days. It has 10 episodes of almost 30 minutes each. 16 year old high school girl Mieko lives with her ever busy mother and has abandonment issues and never wants to be in love with any man, especially when her ex boyfriend physically assaults her one night. That night she meets Makki, a schoolmate of hers and literally forces himself to take car...

Hard

Yet another film on gay serial killer. I guess given the film came back win 1998, I should probably not roll my eyes. Subjects for gay films were quite limited and a certain section of film makers thought that demonization of homosexuality to be acceptable. I don't mean to bash this film, which it may sound like, this film wasn't bad at all. It was decent with thrill elements and what not. A stranger and a drifter picks up a teenage boy who is in town in hope to become an actor. Conversations soon turn sexual and soon Jack takes a turn, rapes and murders the kid. Detective Vates and his partner are assigned to investigate the case. Vates is a closet gay guy. When another body is found, the two are canvassing the neighborhood, and Vates goes into a gay bar and meets Jack showing him pics. Jack catches on his closet case, invites him for a drink the next night an; they end up in bed together. Jack then ties Vate to bed, steals his badge, and dares Raymond to find him. Jack, is me...

I Love You (Thai Mini Series)

This is going to be a weird review. This show or let's say series was supposed to be a 4 part version but the makers loathe last part and so what we get to see is only first three parts. What we don't know is what comes next. This series is incomplete. This would be frustrating for some, but for others this could also be interesting, depending on how you see it. Per travels to Focus and Ball's wedding in the countryside, and remembers their time in high school. Per was a new transfer student who was immediately attracted to Ball. Although Ball seemed to have a liking for Per, but Ball already has a very solid friendship/relationship with Focus, the class topper. On Valentine's Day Ball open up his heart and tell Per about his feeling but for some reason they cannot be together. There is some hostly which unfortunately we will not find out. Broken hearted Focus shows up to cheer up Ball, and so come that they get together, in time. But now at wedding, Per's feelings ...

Queers (Mini Series) (UK)

Queers is a 2017 mini series that was aired on BBC to mark the 50th anniversary of the passing of the Sexual Offences Act 1967. The show features interviews with gay characters at the margins of the community. The series has a total of 8 episodes, each consisting of one monologue by an actor recounting their experience. Every episode features a different speaker in a different year, spanning most of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century. At 20 minutes each episode and some very popular and known names in Britain, I was really looking forward to this one. The Man On The Platform set in 1917 - a young man returning from the trenches of the First World War recollects a love that dared not speak its name. A Grand Day Out in 1994 - 17-year-old Andrew comes to London for the first time - with unexpected results. More Anger in 1987 - with Aids hitting the headlines a promising new part looks like a game-changer for Phil. Missing Alice in 1957 - Alice and her gay husband share a secre...

An Early Frost

How many ever number of films we may end up watching on the subjects of AIDS, but every time most of these films touch our core as a reminder of what things were and where we are today. I think as a mandatory viewing, us gay men should be mandated to watch an AIDS related movie or gay struggles movement films every year just as a reminder to not take things for granted. The freedom that we have today has come at a cost of a lot of things and AIDS epidemic is just one of them. This 1985 made for TV film was a very risky proposition, but it is interesting and different in the sense that not only does to educated common people about the disease, but it also address the homophobia and most importantly the slow but certain coming around of our lead's family members into accepting him for who he is. Michael is a very successful lawyer who has been with his boyfriend Peter for over 2 years. But he has never come out to his family, which is sometimes a bone of contention between the coupl...

Best Sisters Forever (Mandarin Short Film)

A short film of about 35 minutes, focusing on love, life and most importantly friendship was a nice warm uplifting yet funny film, which deserves its own quick short review post. Two 'queens' (I hate the word) gay friends (who call each other sister) have had a terrible misunderstanding 10 years ago. Snow thinks that Adu has been flirting with his boyfriend whereas the truth is that the boyfriend has all along been trying to force himself on Adu. Its been ten years since they were estranged when Adu left after that incident. A text from Snow bring Adu back in his life. Snow now has pancreatic cancer and his boyfriend took his money and left him few years back. The ‘sisters’ reminisce over the past while talking about the future. Though they are still very fond of each other, both have changed and a palpable tension can be felt over dreams unrealized and disappointments in life. Knowing their days together are numbered, the pair set out on a few adventures hoping to gain lost o...

Big Dragon (Thai Series)

This was a weird show with its tonality completely a U-turn between its very first two episodes. We have seen shows about enemies turning lovers, but here the Strat of tension itself is a kind of toxic, making you think these are horrible people, but are they really? IN the very second episode you start seeing the sparks fly and I was like, what just happened!! So eventually it turned out yet another love story with usual issues that we have sen umpteen number of times, but with one of the most bizarre first episodes that feels totally unlike any of the remaining 7 epodes of this series. Yai is a bratty wealthy college student who has inherited his father’s pub and thinks the handsome Mangkorn, an architecture graduate, has eyes on his girl-crush. So one evening, Yai gets his men to mix something in Mangkorn’s drink inadvertently ends up getting drugged himself. His plan to record an unconscious Mangkorn in a compromising position backfires on him when Mangkorn steals their video of ha...

Stupid Boys Stupid Love (Vietnamese Series)

Before I start writing the review if this series, I have to say that the show had the most androgynous looking actors I have ever seen. I still cannot fathom if some of the characters were male/female or gender neutral. Its just an observation from me and I am not sure if that was intentional or not. Another noticeable thing fo rme was the kids school uniform. I have never seen such a school uniform and it was such a welcome and refreshing change from the white short and grey shorts of the Thai BL dramas (just kidding). This is a sweet and fun and silly mini series of 4 episodes of 20 minutes each, which is a very easy breezy watch about a coming-of-age story, This is a story about 5 friends and starts with Nghia drama about trying to kiss his best friend Minh. At that moment, he realizes that Minh is now just not a friend, but the individual to whom he is deeply attracted to in a sexual way. This of course can be very confusing. Nghia tries to convince Minh that he is more to him than...

The Unknown Cyclist

This film is the same old story of acceptance of homosexuality and the long term pain families endure. But given that the film came out back in 98, the subjects dealing with homosexuality were few, so keeping the time release in mind, the subject is pretty decent and a nice attempt to make a meaningful film. A story of love and acceptance and of a community who was still understanding the whole effect of AIDS and spreading the message. The film starts with a wake of Chris who dies AIDS, where his friends are celebrating his life. His ex wife Melissa, and the boyfriend Doug whom he left behind and their mutual friend Gaetano, a party boy under various drug addiction and alcohol issues. Since Chris never reconciled with his family before his death, so Doug is upset when Chris' twin brother Frank shows up. Next day the lawyer tells all four of them that Chris' last wish was for all 4 of them to do the 450 mile, six day charity ride up California coast for AIDS and release his ashe...

Working Beks (Filipino/Tagalog)

The movie is about five different gay men from different backgrounds whose lives are peppered with struggles as they face the world trying to survive and make each day count. Thankfully, the film doesn't get into the stereotypes of being gay, or the stereotypes of gay films. It’s mostly a celebration of being true to oneself and fighting for the rights of gay people, not just because they are human but also because they are part of the society. The five narratives are connected by a leaked sex video of a supposedly straight famous actor Champ with another guy. Champ has now suddenly disappeared and his team is running everywhere to lessen the damage. Tommy is the marketing manager who needs to shoot a campaign with Champ, but can't find him. Also, unknown to him, there is sexuality discrimination against him at workplace and is sidelined for promotion for being gay. Thankfully he has a loving husband and two teenage daughters waiting for him at home. Gorgeous, a trans female is...

Ghost Host, Ghost House (Thai Series)

Despite the series being full of plot holes, situations that don'e make sense or even a patchy narrative, this show actually manages to hold the audience attention. Once you stop taking the show seriously, the silly yet sweet shenanigans of the leads and the family that they stay with is actually enjoyable. The leads involve in some flirty exchanges, some passionate kissing ( I wish there was more of it, for a change, the physical intimacy was not awkward). At 8 episodes of about 45 minutes each, the show could have ended in 6, but hey, lets continue to hope. At least this was not stretched to the usual 12 or 14 parts. I will take small victories. Kevin likes to host online live sessions researching and telling ghost stories. He has grown up in US. He is now on a trip to Thailand to met his relatives and stay with them which includes his uncle, aunt and 2 kids. They are all very welcoming of Kevin and do everything to make him comfortable. Because of his interest in ghosts, he lik...

Smiley (Netflix Spanish Series)

I have to start by saying that besides the rushed climax, I absolutely loved this Spanish Netflix show of 8 episodes. This funny, heartwarming and emotional romcom takes all the usual tropes you’d expect in an LGBTQ+ situation and is full of love, emotion, drama, comedy, romance and everything in between. The central couple is a gay couple (Are they a couple?), but essentially the story is equally about their friends in Barcelona, who navigate hesitations, hangups, and missed connections as they search for the true love they have been missing. The plot is simple yet complicated. Alex is a hot muscular and charming bartender, who wants to leave an angry voice mail to the strange the had a fling with for not calling him back, but that voice mail gets sent to a stranger Bruno, a nerdy architect, who is passionate for movies. Bruno calls him back after some hesitation to tell him that he got wrong number and the to start to relate another things and decide to meet blindly without knowing w...

In From The Side (UK)

I can count on my fingertips on how many sports based gay films are out there. The Shiny Shrimps & The Pass that immediately come to my mind. This film shares a similar gay sporting confidence and takes it one level higher, while also presenting to us a unique love story in the backdrop of a gay rugby team. There is nothing about coming out or anything. These men are out and comfortable with who they are, and little attention is paid to their sexuality and the film takes us into the lives of a group of friends and team-mates who play together in a gay rugby team. Our central characters are Mark and Warren who are both part of Stags club. Warren is in Group A, the more solid team, whereas Mark is in Group B, an upcoming group with Mark as their best player. After a match, and a drunken night, the two men have a drunken one night stand, following which the next day Warren leaves telling him that he is in a relationship with John, another team-member. It turns out that mark also hid t...

The Holiday Sitter

Since the past two years, network TV channels in US have been trying to come up with holiday rom-com film with a gay couple in the lead roles. In last two years, we saw a few of them, but surprisingly for this year 2022, there haven't been many announcements, but thankfully we finally have the first gay holiday rom-com and that too on Hallmark channel, a first for them. Yes it a romantic film, yes its cheesy, yes it has all the quintessential Christmas vibe and stereotype; but guess what, its exactly the kind of love and warmth that we all need this holiday season and I am so happy it has started with this film. The story is simple. Sam is a workaholic, not ind of kids and also somehow never ends up on a second date. When his sister and her husband need to drive to upstate New York because their surrogate is in labor earlier than expected, he has to change his holiday plans to babysit his niece and nephew. When he reluctantly arrives, he meets Jason (his soon to be beau), the siste...

Sasha (German / Serbo-Croatian)

A coming of age gay story, this film is as much a comedy as it is drama. With a fantastic soundtrack, some great comic elements within the dynamics of an immigrant family drama, great pacing; this is a realistic depiction of the confusion and heartache family restrictions and expectations can place upon young people. I saw this film almost 10 years ago and remember liking it but somehow missed reviewing it here on my site, so it was time again to revisit it and pen down my thoughts. Sasha, is a closet gay teenager of Montenegrin-German origin who returns from holiday in Montenegro back to Germany only to find that his Piano teacher, Gebhard is moving to Vienna to take a teaching position which break's Sasha's heart, since he has a massive crush on Gebhard. His best girl friend Jiao, of Chinese origin is in love with him and when Sasha tells her he has gay and how Gebhard is moving away, she gets a shock too. In the mix we have Sasha's younger brother who has a massive crush...

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