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Riley

By Golu
Riley is a film about self-acceptance, belonging, societal labels and identity. The hardest part of coming out is always first coming out to yourself. Choosing between the life you want and the one that society constructed for you is never easy, so you can only imagine when we have an over straight football player, from whom everyone has expectations, how wil his life start to crumble under the weight of his own queer identity. The film is a raw and powerful attempt at untangling the knots of stereotypes and fear within society.

Our protagonist is Dakota Riley, a rising football player on this journey, dealing with the consequences of denying himself of who he really is. His girlfriend Skylar wants to have sex, but he’s resisting because deep down she doesn't excite him. He knows he is attracted to men. His best friend Jaeden , who is temporarily living with him after his mother kicked him out (for reasons unknown to us), seems to be sending out flirty vibes. They seem to be doing "Boys doings Boys thing" like comparing size, locker room flirtations etc, but being close friends. Riley is constantly being pushed by his father cum coach on how he needs to do better. When one of his classmate Liam, who is openly gay, becomes Riley's partner for a French project; things change. They end up kissing and he goes down on Riley. This confuses him even more and now he is struggling to sleep or do anything. Friends and family know something is off, but we really font know what it is. In between we also see Riley hooking up with an older guy who also sort of becomes his sounding board and mentor on how to accept his sexuality and remaining him that in today's times, nobody cares. Eventually Riley decides to live his life and in a beautiful moment tells his girlfriend that he needs to live his life being who he is. He doesn't yet know what he is, but he is not straight. The film ends with Riley being more confident and focusing on his game.

The relationships are written beautifully throughout, and bought to life in such talented ways. I really liked how we were allowed to explore with Riley, and see him tackle the world and his feelings for people as they moved through his life. Craving intimacy and understanding, we see Riley struggle with how the world perceives him, and how he’s treating the people he loves. We share his confusion, not knowing how they truly feel and what they really desire. Sex is a big theme in the film, but it’s always treated with respect in how it’s shown and with whichever characters are involved. The actor playing the lead role does an excellent job playing repressed desire and internal conflict with just a subtle glint in his eyes. The guy playing his best friend brilliantly rides the thin line between being sexually suggestive and simply being a sports bro. The film is apparently based on the director's own experiences growing up and coming to terms with his sexuality. While the film may feel like we have seen this before many times, but this film makes you connect with Dakota Riley and you care for him and that is a winner. Thankfully, there is no overdramatic moments. Riley is a beautifully moving piece that speaks to many elements of coming out, but especially focuses on finding our most authentic selves, no matter how long it takes. This is a film about hope and a beautifully moving piece that speaks to many elements of coming out, but especially focuses on finding our most authentic selves, no matter how long it takes. (6/10)
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