Do You Want to Die in Indio?

What a wasted opportunity!! This isn’t a gay movie per se but the main lead is a gay teenage, which makes me wonder how this film could have been such a nice cute teen gay love story. I am not sure why the makers are marketing this as a thirst trap film to gay men. I guess whatever to see tickets. This is more like a coming of age for a teen film and generally more about life and nothing really about sexuality or anything. I hate it when I spent so much time thinking there would be substantial gay plot and end up being disappointed.

Salvi is a 17 year old Mexican origin teen who is a brilliant student. He gets into USC but has no money to pay for it. A new student Gabriel in his class and him have just started to get along and clearly there is some spark between the two. To make money, Salvi starts to work with a local drug dealer Lucky, who is simultaneously homoerotic and very homophobic. Lucky shows Salvi the ropes and they get along great until Lucky beats up a gay man for little to no reason. On this journey Salvi meets Henry, an older white Buffy daddy type dude. He is about to marry a rich white girl, but somehow he also cares for Henry and wants to make sure that he gets on the right path and dissuades him from going through drug path. Henry is all drunk and drugged but caring for Salvi who mistakes this for love, despite Henry making it clear that he is straight. In an accident the next morning, Henry Gandhis fiancé are killed by her father who has dementia. Salvi runs away with cash and plan to put the blame on Lucky. The film then ends with Gabriel and Salvi hanging out and they finally have their kiss.

I am not sure how to classify this film honestly. The film wasn't much to talk about although characters were chosen well. How I wish this was Salvi/Gabriel story, sadly it wasn't. Actually almost half the story was about Henry and his predicament. Henry is deep down a very good man who tries to be good to Salvi. He’s plagued by his own demons none of which take away from his genuinely good nature. It would have benefice to see more backstory of him. Lucky was an interesting one, who, I am not sure, was he using Salvi's feelings for him against him? And then Salvi, a nice decent teen. But he is deeply missing love and the first person who is kind to him, he starts to fall for him. Gabriel, Lucky and then Henry. Which didn't make sense to me. Is he so desperate or something else is going on? As actors everyone does a good job, but somewhere I feel that the purpose of the movie is being lost on me. It' an overall ok film but definitely not what I was expecting. I would likely give this one a skip. (4/10)

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