This Hindi movie is a pretty straightforward slice-of-life story that tries to give a modern look at what it's like to be a single, professional gay man. It dives into how he understands who he is, the chances he missed out on, and the personal choices he’s made along the way. The director used three parallel timelines to tell the story, which honestly didn't make much sense to me. While the core idea was actually pretty interesting, I really feel like this would have worked way better as a short film considering the point it was trying to make. Still, it wasn't a bad watch. The plot centers on Rachit, a city professional, and his friend Shikhar as they hang out for an evening. Rachit is a polished, urban guy, while Shikhar has more of a "small-town" rustic vibe, and you can really see the contrast between them when they talk. As the night goes on, Rachit starts thinking back to some old memories from a long time ago. He remembers being an intern after college in ...
In “Apostles,” a scholar claiming to be an apostle to Socrates and Plato, finds it hard to face his end. With the help of his wife and his ex-partner’s family, he recruits 12 young men to come to his secluded manor to pursue the exploration of death. Philosophical discussions aside, the practices encompass climbing the volcanic summit of Mt. Fuji, bondage, sexual activities, and even living sacrifice. Throughout it all, these thrilling experiences are filmed, leaving everyone involved facing life changing revelations.
This film, like most of his previous work, feels like an excuse to show these men, for much of the film, in the nude. There are sex scenes in gyms and restaurants. There is an opening masturbation scene. Later there is an actual death sacrifice. But all of these look and feel dull. They lack elegance and has no art to it, something I would like to think that the director was going for. Sure, there are some brief discussions about reincarnation, the existence of ghosts, and the possibility of immortality but these aren’t given serious contemplation (but then no one really cared about that, especially anyone watching this film). Perhaps anyone that feels an affinity for nudist colonies might appreciate this but it seems a bit unnecessary to what Scud is apparently trying to express. The only so called positive thing is a lot and lot of naked ripped male bodies. (1.5/10)
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