Movie Reviews -
Gay Themed

'Gayliens' is a 4 episode anthology series from HereTV ranging from sci-fi to comedy, where each episode details an encounter between gay men and extra-terrestrials. I have to say that the concept sounded quite interesting, and of course, you have to keep your expectations extremely low, so form that perspective it was an interetsing mix. EP 1 - Love and the Mothman Two neighborhood boys (both likely in closet) decide to go on a drive to get away from family. The black guy makes sure to tell th other boy all about his girl crushes but eventually when dark falls, they both start having banger sex in the car till they are eventually terrorized by the legendary Mothman.  EP 2 - Lapdance from Outer Space Ace, a space-themed stripper in a gay nightclub, agrees to give an odd man a private Lapdance, but is surprised when the patron reveals that he is an alien...and Earth is about to be invaded. This was actually quite funny with the kind of dialogues that were being exchanged. Comedy

Firstly, I don't think Throuple is the right Tiel for the film. Sure the film ends up in that direction, but I felt that the film was a lot more to that. It was about self discovery, loving one self, about close friendships and people insecurities and vulnerabilities seen thorn various lenses. Having said that, this film overall brings an interesting perspective, even though there were many faults in the film. Michael, is a lonely, gay singer-songwriter, who is just better about love and is fully convinced it's a sham. He also struggles to express what he needs from the people in his life. His social circle is his best lesbian friend  Tristan, who sings in a band and her girlfriend Abby. Much to Abby’s chagrin, Michael leans on them to fulfill his needs for emotional intimacy. One night in the club, Michael catches the attention of Georgie and Connor, a married gay couple looking for a third to spice up their life. A nonchalant hookup becomes a night of vulnerability that none

I am sure, anyone who has seen first two seasons, would not have expected the change of pace and the storyline that is offered to the audience. The plot is a bit heavier than the usual lovey-dovey ones we have watched in first two seasons. It is not to say that the romance is not there, but the plat also focuses on some very meaningful and deep changes to the love story of Nick and Charlie. I also have. To say it that I did miss my favorite Olivia Coleman. I so wish she was there even just for a cameo maybe. All the various couple are doing well in this relationships and we just see how they are all growing. The main focus. This time is on Nick's concerns around Charlie's struggles with eating and the possible disorder that he has. Alongwth help of Charlie's very supportive sister, Nick eventually gets to share etc burden of noticing something odd about Charlie and wanting to be there for him. These are kids and they just dont know what is wrong with Charlie and how they ca

For those in the LGBTQ+ community who reside in the West, the greater freedoms and civil liberties that have emerged in recent decades have made life more fulfilling for this once-persecuted constituency. But, for those who live in more conservative lands, such rights and privileges have been slower to surface (and in fewer numbers at that). This is true even in somewhat more lenient countries like Turkey, where the somewhat more tolerant and cosmopolitan nature of cities like Istanbul have shown some progress but still lag behind other locales. This has compelled gay, transgender and bisexual individuals to continue to lead more subdued lives than their Western counterparts, keeping low profiles and even unwillingly engaging in traditional marriages to give themselves socially acceptable cover, particularly in more rural and remote areas. This is Not Me tells the story of unhappy gay men who have had to marry women to hide their sexual orientation in the face of societal and family pr

How does one describe this gay film!! An extremely carefully designed and drafted film, it's a film within a film, about pitching a gay film to a producer who wants a “fun, sexy, Greek and low-budget” script. It has meta-commentary on queer filmmaking all over the place, incorporating several life-affirming themes. And to top that when you have gorgeous and handsome naked cast, and a cut dog, one's attention is automatically guaranteed. Demosthenes and Nikitas often sunbathe at a nude cruising spot in Greece. Nikitas needs to pitch a film idea over the weekend and he has nothing on hand. They both strike upon the idea of making a film about their “summer with Carmen”; a Chihuahua that Demos adopted from his ex-boyfriend Panos, two summers ago. The film then keeps going back and forth between present and two summers ago on what happened thats summer and the way it is presented to us is a film within a film format. We see how Demos had broken up with his boyfriend of 4 years Pano

Do you have control over your own destiny, are you controlled by your fate, or are you a mere puppet in the hands of the gods? This is a question that this queer time-traveling film implicitly asks through its heartfelt melodrama. Whether it succeeds completely in passing on the emotions is a separate thing but with its gorgeous cinematography and some brilliant performances by the 4 leads, it does manage to keep you captivated an interested in the proceedings. Chen Yao Hua, a young man works in the Huan Nan Market at the butcher stall run by his family. His father Bao Ding, has seemingly gone mad with despair for mysterious reasons.  Accidentally traveling through time back to 1991, he joins the younger version of his father and his two friends, soon forming with them a happy gang of close, intimate friends. The gang mistakes him for a missing high schooler and he now finds himself being friends with younger version of his father, a close friend Anjian and the only female member. HE f

A very simple slice of life gay love story about finding love. Just under 70 minutes, this film never goes over the top with unnecessary histrionics or anything like that. Having said that the conflicts get resolved very quickly (I wish it was that easy in real life), but I guess that the characters were deemed to have the kind of maturity. Hey look, I am not complaining. In my busy schedule, I finally found some time to catch up on a movie and I am glad this romantic comedy with no frills was a perfect break for me. Grey is a flamboyant and charming young man. He is helping out his lifelong best friend, Jonas on a stage play where Jonas is playing the lead. Jonas is a heartthrob with masculine appeal. While Jonas effortlessly navigates the gay dating scene, Gray struggles to find love, convinced that his effeminate style is an obstacle. But despite countless rejections, Gray remains hopeful. The duo used to have another friend Yates who has just returned from US. Yates used to be Grey

I am not sure how serious this film should be taken. It was an interesting idea likely in paper. Love will find you in most unexpected places and situations, but the way the treatment of the film is done, it came off to me as very amateurish, both from screenplay but also from acting pov. There were scenes that were unlikely supposed to excite the audience but somehow they just didn't work for me. A macho man Paulo is in an unhappy marriage with his wife and usually cycles around. One day after a serious argument with her, he gets lost while cycling and ends up in a forest like area known as the "Forest of whispers" a secret place where men meet for sexual purposes. Initially things around him, he finds it awkward. But he ends up finding himself drawn to a young twink blonde Luigi. Unhappy in his marriage, Paulo begins to frequent the forest often, and eventually gives into passion for Luigi's body. They connect every weekend in the forest and over the course of next

Inspired by the French. Neorealism style of film making, John tells the struggling story of LGBTQ sex workers in Hollywood, LA. It's a thought-provoking, emotionally charged journey through a world that remains largely hidden from mainstream cinema. Personally, I have never enjoyed. That style of film making and I am also not sure what really was the maker trying to tell us through this film. There have been many more better made documentaries that show us the plights of LGBTQ sex workers. John is an eighteen year old Latino male prostitute, living in the poorest area of Hollywood, L.A. He often steals condoms and medicine from the local stores to support himself, due to his inexperience in the hustling world. Peaches is a black trans prostitute, who often helps John financially. Miguel is an older hustler that teaches John how to please men. John often spends his night wandering through the street, looking for older men to buy him for the night. His clients, men who come from all

I have mixed feelings about this show. These days there are plenty of murder mystery shows and it's important to keep viewers engaged in the story. The show opens with the brutal murder of a gay sex worker in the toilet of Mahim train station and this is where the story begins. The show and story is good but the show takes forever to come to a point. There are so many side stories and every 5 minute conversation is starched into  20 min scene. The show tries to educate and empathize with gay community in India because still it is considered a big taboo in that society. The show takes a gritty yet empathetic look at gay life in the Mumbai underbelly. In the male public urinals of Mahim station, a mutilated body is found. The victim is discovered to be a young gay sex worker; soon enough, another sex worker turns up dead with clue being given on who the next target would be. IT turns out that two police constables are next in line. This will take expertise of Shiva Jende, an inspecto

Wren Boys (UK) It’s the day after Christmas, and Father Conor, a priest from County Cork, drives his nephew to prison to visit one of the inmates. The surprise is that the nephew is there to marry his boyfriend who is in prison, but within the prison walls different rules apply, and life is often overshadowed by the threat of violence. What a brilliant short film!! In such a short time, the way the characters arcs are developed and shown are sometime not reached in full fledged films.  Adán y Esteban (Argentina) A simple short of two best friends, one getting drunk on a night and seducing the friend. The friend meanwhile was always into him. The next morning they get into discussion around random things. Two bodies that meet in the middle and a sunrise that sheds light on fears and evaporates them with the sun's rays. Good nudity with full penis shots was the only good thing in this otherwise average short film. Invincible Summer (Belgium) One hot summer evening. Alone at home, by

I remember enjoying Durango series a lot and was hopeful that there will be follow up to this. I got my hands on second season titled "Rūrangi: Rising Lights". In addition to the tile we also saw some actors changing from original season. Caz's friend/boyfriend Jem and his father are now played by different actors; but that doesn't impact the show negatively in any way. At 5 episodes of about 20 minutes each, this show is still very much worth a watch. The first season concluded on a cathartic, hopeful note. And, while it was clear the characters would still have significant external conflicts ahead, they seemed to have resolved most of their inner turmoil by the season’s end. Season 2 focuses less on main character Caz but in the town and its issues more. We see the struggles of town mayors modernizing the town while Maori people trying to fight for their motherland. We slowly see the town starting to get behind banning of the chemical fertilizers. We still see Cam a

This 10 episode Vietnamese gay family series is actually quite fun to watch. It feels like this show is a sequel of sorts to Tien Bromance, a very confused show 2020. Its got same characters, actors and extended storyline, but so much better than the original one. The episodes are about 18-20 minutes each. And the show primarily shows us everyday joys and trials of a gay couple navigating through life and raising their young child. We meet Tai and Tien again who are now living in a suburban home with their 6-7 year old son. Tien still works in some sort of gang/mafia and Tai is a teacher. There is really not much of a story here. We see multiple issues that these young parents try to navigate e through, while also making sure their relationship and love still stays strong. We see how they both care about their son, there are some funny situations when they both have trust issues, the way Tai treats the mafia gang members when they come (like a jealous housewife), the occasional baby si

I had been looking for this film ever since I had heard of it running in a few film theaters. The makers recently released the film on Muni, which gave a lot of people an opportunity to eventually watch this film. Jaggi is traumatic, triggering, and shakes you to the core. But it’s also raw, touching, and unnerving. It is definitely not gay cinema, but the subject that says "Story of a schoolboy’s impotence leads to accusations of being gay, triggering relentless bullying" was something I really wanted to see. Id also like to say that the film has some very disturbing scenes that could be triggering for some people. The film starts in present day where we see Jaggi as he goes through rollercoaster of emotions. He breaks down, tries to jerk off, grabs a gun, writes a letter in his diary and gets picked up his uncle to take him home for his engagement the next day. On the way, they give lift to a man who slowly starts to inappropriately touch Jaggi and the film goes into flashb

This documentary from 2023 charts the development and journey of the Aids Project Los Angeles (APLA) from 1982 through to the current day. It offers a timely oral history of the AIDS epidemic from those who lived it. The talking heads doc puts the words of the LGBTQ+ community front and centre while revisiting the peak AIDS years. The film starts usual with a thorough account of the mysterious early days of AIDS, reports about gay disease, how it was perceived and archival clips stress the homophobia that ran rampant amid the uncertainty of the disease’s transmissibility. Survivors recall in contemporary interviews the wrenching experience of seeing loved ones die alone. Scenes discussing the APLA’s hotline calls and the need for a buddy system for Aids patients ring home how strong the LGBTQ+ community is and had to be in the face of ignorance, fear, and stigma. “It was discrimination that killed many of us,” we hear at one point. The film shares the events through which celebrities a

Oh wow ! I cannot believe thatches widely popular short story collection series is coming to an end on DVDs. I hope that they will continue in some format on OTT or digital. Appropriately titles "Happy Endings", it is a bit of a mixed bag, but that is not a slight to the quality of the films. Every entry is worthwhile and well made; it is more a matter of personal taste. The best shorts in the anthology feature two guys navigating sex, love and desire. Many of them deliver the happy ending of the title, but a few shorts may leave viewers wanting more. Aloof (Israel) Flip-flopping between scenes from a family outing and a gay bathhouse, Yariv, a timid photographer cannot seem to decide where he truly belongs. When your identity seems to have so many different contradictions, how do you figure out who you are? Beautiful Stranger (France) After being abruptly dumped by his long-time boyfriend and missing his train, Romain checks himself into a two-star hotel. Deciding to drown h

Why o why was this film made? With a running length of almost 2.5 hours, the only thought that comes to mind after having finished watching the film is WTF!! Not only was the story problematic , but worse was the execution of the film. The makers probably have never heard of the role of an editor. So many scenes would just go on and on forever, really really testing patience of the audience. No wonder it Tok me a few years to even find this film since it was released and having seen it now, I would loudly scream to not waste your time. A simple young man Liam works in a hotel and the setting is during covid. A rich man Harry comes to stay at the hotel for a week and their first meeting does not go well. Harry is angry and Liam is clumsy, but. Turns out that's because Liam is enamored by how handsome Harry is. Anyway, they eventually become friends and one night while hanging out Harry tells Liam how he is super rich but after his parents separation neither wants them, so they keep

After watching the film, it feels like the film is full of metaphors, some that I understand but many that I probably did not. There are some odd moments story-wise, which seem out of place, and it is slow at points, but the film is nevertheless interesting to watch. Homosexuality issues are naturally mixed with religion and the authoritarianism of a patriarchy, showing us a snapshot of the society in a very small town of Northern Argentina. The movie also shows how important the legends of the country people are for that society and how they try to survive with that great weight and trying to solve it with their own weapons. Nino lives with his family and he is in the midst of exploring his early awakening sexuality. At age 14, Nino is already a victim of homophobic attacks. To protect him, his parents decide to leave the city temporarily and the whole family moves to a farm near a rural village. The place is surrounded by the "monte", a huge humid and dark forest where his

El Primer Beso (Spain) [The First Kiss] Andi, a teenager lives in a small town. No one knows that he is gay, except his older brother. Today is a special day because he is going to Madrid where he has a date with a boy his age whom he has met online. Things end in a drama, but with. Positive message acceptance and hopefully love. Ili-Ili (Philippines) [Little One] A pregnant mother, unsure of how to raise a child, arranges an interview with her two gay dads but fate intervenes when his dad suffers a heart attack. Her dad reflects on their family’s history, captured on an old camcorder. A heartfelt narrative told through animation, that carries a heartfelt message of love and family. Polywood (USA) A playful, tongue-in-cheek jab at the modern dating scene. Clayton, who has an unlucky love life, is on his first date with August, a guy he met on Grindr. When he meets him his anxiety fades, as he is fascinated by how easily they form a connection. The idyll is broken when August mentions h