Movie Reviews -
Gay Themed

This film follows a young man who suffers a brutal homophobic aggression, after which an investigation is activated that highlights a conservative, terrified, uncompromising, fanatical and morally deplorable community in rural Romania. Interestingly, the film shows everyone's perspective except that of the victim himself. What a brilliant little film this was. I had no idea, for a change, what this film was about and I was very very pleasantly surprised how this film shows us an act of violence and different perspectives. The story is set in the Danube delta, where sunsets are vast and it is possible to go anywhere else only by boat. Set in a small village in rural Romania, we meet a religious family man Dragoi and his 17 year old son Adi. Dragoi owns a substantial debt to a local village gangster Zentov. One night when Adi comes back home brutally beaten up, they go to the doctor and also file a police complaint. As investigation starts, it turns out that it was the two sons of th...

This film is a story of a 16 year old young teen who is suffering, is lonely, prone to self-harm and worse. This story of our protagonist doesn't give us much data on what bruises or tragedy from childhood pr past he is carrying with him and the way one summer unfolds takes him into a vortex of degradation, humiliation and masochism which hurts just to watch it. Tobias is a young 16-ish year old introverted young man who loves skateboarding and is eager for love. His mother doesn’t have time for him,  so she sends him to spend the summer with his out-of-town grandparents. His grandfather is a glassmaker who teaches his grandson the basics of the profession; his grandmother has dementia, but she gives the boy the little affection his parents fail to provide. When granny's health takes for worse, he goes off for few days to his father's place but he is also busy with his new family and has been equally absent. The summer days seem to drag on forever; there’s nothing to do in ...

Taiwanese BL series used to be comfort watching , but the last one I saw wasn't very good and sadly the bad please continue with this one. I think the problem is that they have not evolved with time in their storytelling methods. They still keep mandatory 2 couples who journey of love story we go through. There is a bit of drama thrown in. Glossy apartments, good looking actors and some random storyline background but the actual love story following the same tropes of enemies turned lovers or 'I love you so much but can never confess' trope. C'mmon guys, please give us something more. With 12 episodes each of 25-30 minutes, this one is still a significant time commitment.  Wang Zhan is a wannabe musician who is content with his life. Until one day he is forcibly kidnapped by his older brother to train him to take over the family funeral business. Wang had never had an interest in the work and is quite shocked why his brother would do such a thing.The kidnapper guys an e...

I am not sure I fully understood what this film was about. I mean, yes, I get that it was a story about a group of drag queen performers and their life, but I was quite confused between so many characters and what was the film actually trying to show. The plot tracks drag queens of The Bearded Mermaid cabaret, who put on a riveting show featuring singing, circus, and dancing—something never seen before in the small town of Dieppe in France. One night, a lonely fisherman stumbles into “The Bearded Mermaid,” a faded little cabaret that turns out to be anything but ordinary. He steps into a world of laughter, glitter and love that he totally embraces, opening up to these characters as joyful as they are morose. Run by a fiercely committed trio of drag performers - firecracker Sweety, anxious stage manager Beluga who is also the 'mother' of them all, and gentle aerialist Alonso - the cabaret is struggling to keep its doors open. Their dream? A glitter-filled, lip-sync-and-circus sp...

I just finished watching the second season of the semi-autobiographical British sitcom based on comedian Alan Carr's childhood in 1980s Northampton. The first season was funny but it did not have too many laugh out loud moments, but it was a nice heart warming show and so I was anxious about second season. Like its predecessor, this again may not be edgy comic show, but it still brings a smile on your face, on more than one occasion. We continue to see Alan's shenanigans in his conservative hometown where whatever may happen, his spirit remains uncrushed in this warm and witty coming-of-age comedy. We are reintroduced to Alan and other quirky characters. Still not quite the son his father expected, Alan is content to spend his Friday nights watching wrestling on the TV with his mum. Following the sitcom format, we see how Alan is trying to impress his classmates by going to a movie for 15 year plus and how he gets the fake id. In another we see how he was thrilled when his dete...

This was such a pleasant surprise. What a lovely little film!! This film is just an hour long and it gives such a nice message while keeping everything so entertaining, that sometime high budget full length feature films fail to achieve. I can't believe this film is not being talked about more.  A really powerful depiction of growing up Trans and Tongan in a catholic school.This one is a very cute, indie teen comedy, with a healthy dose of corniness, giggles and also like really emotional moments like I almost cried. A transgender or fakaleitī student Lisa, of Tongan origin starts her fourth high school, St Valentine’s, after having to leave her previous three schools due to bullying. She was born Lewis and her mother still calls him the and identifies him as her son. She meets Moses, captain and star of the school and they do not get along as expected and also this other bitchy girl who for some reason is jealous of her and the other are in class. By constantly breaking the fourth...

Cock N' Bull 3 (USA) Flight attendants, Chris and Wes, instigate twisted mile-high games with passengers, leading to the unimaginable - maneuvering an emergency landing after someone poisoned the pilot. It is one of those stupid comedy episodes that may work better in the plethora of reels that get shared. João (Brazil) [John] A young gay man lives alone with his pet in the Amazon. He makes tea and plays music and lives a quiet, solitary life. Of course, sex is an indispensable part of his life, so what will he do when his desire strikes? This film had absolutely nothing new. It's literally video about a man hooking up with another with no dialogues. Oasis (Australia) An introverted teenager faces a dilemma after capturing a charming backpacker naked in a caravan shower block. He must decide whether to safeguard his prized secret or preserve his cherished friendship. He finally tells the guy and runaway crying only to find the camera outside his door the next morning. A.I.D.S.C...

I was hoping that I would like this show, given the mix of positive and not so good reviews about this show. Korean shows are more often better than a complete washout and here we would get to see a new setup of football. Sadly, rather than keeping focussed on the coupe, it goes in 10 different directions focusing on multiple people and multiple story lines. What would have been better is that they focussed on an actually story rather taking a 20 pointer defaults and weaving a story around it so that the makers can keep everyone happy. The series comprises of 8 episodes from 25-25 minutes duration. There is a soccer team which is not doing too well and is bought over by a media entertainment company. The agency takes over and cuts out all the players with a poor face, then forces the actors with a face value from their agency to become players. To capitalize on their looks rather than their sports skills is actual demeaning, but the players are left with no choice but follow through th...

This nice little film is a subtle, but sharp dissection of family dynamics. The film feels like a carefully directed ping-pong match between family members, in which everyday life unexpectedly sets up as an obstacle which can threaten the happy existence of the family. The scenario, although seemingly simple, exposes layers that are about love, loyalty and the fragile balance within a family. I quite enjoyed this film. The film starts with Teen Tommy just having graduated, but sadly has also been dumped by his boyfriend and is struggling with the pain of heartbreak. His father, is well intentioned but unable to provide emotional support. His mother supports him unconditionally. When Tommy starts to work with his father Rin his workshop, he accidentally discovers email chain between his father and another man, clearly indicating a gay affair between the two. The young boy doesn't know what to do. Gathering courage, he asks his father about this, who tells him that this man was someo...

Comedian and content creator Benito Skinner writes, produces and stars in this sex-filled eight-episode look at coming out and finding yourself after high school. This Amazon prime series came a few weeks back and has been trending. I will be the first to an admit, like I do most time, I have no idea who Benito Skinner is. It's only when I started to watch the show and wanted to know about the actors, this is what I found. With 8 episodes of about 35-40 minutes each, I went in with quite high expectations and I am sad to say that by the end of it I was quite underwhelmed. We meet Benny, a former high school football hero and homecoming king who is struggling to accept that he is gay, let alone share his sexuality with anyone around him. Deep down he knows he is attracted to guys but he has deeply buried his sexuality under the weight of social pressure. He is now joining college at Yates where his older sister Grace and her boyfriend Peter. Peter immediately takes Benny under his w...

Watching a reality series focusing on a gay wedding is not really my cup of tea, but then I Amin a zone where I am watching as much varied gay content as I can these days and for some reason Thailand is churning out  gay content like its no one else's business. So here we are - A reality show where we witness a gay couple finally getting married after almost 10 years of being engaged, they can legally get married after Thailand became the first Southeast Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage, along with full adoption rights, rights related to inheritance, health care decision-making, and more in 2024. The show is 5 episodes of about 30 min each. Porsch is a flight attendant and an actor. Arm is a social media influencer, a YouTuber with a huge following. Porsche initially proposed to Arm in 2014, six years after their relationship began. And with the legalization of same-sex marriage in Thailand, they decided that they will get married. This reality series focuses on the time...

The series Blur tells the story of a close group of friends formed during high school. But what happens after graduation? As their lives change, so do they, and so do the dynamics between them. Will they let go or stick together? The first season had 8 episodes of 35 min each. It I snot really a gay show, but there is a queer relationship quite prominent in the initial part of the overall story and again later, so I think it qualifies to be reviewed here. This is the story of Tommy, Tuur, Femke, Rune, Manon, Joren and Julie, a close group of friends that emerged during high school. Their group is called "Pigs". After graduation, as they spread their wings and get to know themselves better, how will the multiple events affect their life and their interactions with others. Manon and Joren are twin brother-sister. Julie is Manon's best friend dating her brother Joren for 4 years. Rune is the gay guy (more like gender fluid , in my opinion) of the group, who is spending more ...

If you’re looking for the perfect weekend movie that blends horror and comedy in all the right ways, The Parenting absolutely delivers. This film strikes a delicate balance, just enough jump scares to keep horror fans on edge, while packing in plenty of LOL worthy moments that make it a joy to watch. The film was premiered directly on HBO Max. With a simple premise and all the characters having their own quirks, this was a mindless entertainer joy ride right from the get-go. The film starts in 1983, where see a family of 3 being suddenly abducted by haunted power and they mysteriously disappear. Cut to current time and we meet Josh and his boyfriend Rohan who have rented the same house in the countryside for a weekend with both their families. They’ve planned this short trip to introduce themselves to each other’s parents, and their parents to one another, but Rohan has also been secretly planning to propose to Josh. The situation predictably goes awry: Rohan is tense and nervous, Josh...

Aah! This series would have been so much better if it stayed true to the concept it introduces us about 'parallel worlds'. Instead, they take audiences for granted and fool us into thinking one thing and then very conveniently squashing the whole idea to make it yet another love story which then has absolutely nothing to offer. The parallel world concept is what would have made the show stronger. A good premise ends up being a mess. With 10 episodes plus one special episode each of 55-60 minutes long, it's not like it's a quick watch. You spend all this time only to feel cheated was not good. Our characters are Cir and Phu. Cir meets with an accident and in hospital. When he wakes up, he is frantically looking for someone called Phu and shows up at his dorm. Phu has no idea who Cir is. But Cir seems to know a great deal about him. He says he is from a parallel universe where Phu and Cir are boyfriends and are together. Phu dismisses the whole idea and then Cir shares in...

This Korean BL series delves into an interesting world of passion as three suitors vie for the heart of a man named Daon. Sadly, the very definition of relationships seems to spell disaster for him. He was constantly played, dictated and his boundaries were pushed; simply because they couldn’t stand seeing with someone else. The story is quite intriguing I must say, especially as the layers peel. But it is also a bit confusing and convoluted at the same time. The show has 8 episodes, each of 35-40 minutes (which is quite a contrast from other regular Korean BL content). Told us through a few flashbacks, here is what I understood of the story. Daon works in a an office, and he is good friends with a college professor who he has known from college. This college professor is Mr Too Goody shoes and takes care of Daon a lot to an obsessive extent where he even gives money to his abusive father. Slowly Daon starts to get feelings for him, but when he confesses his feelings, the professor guy...

'Aichaku' means attachment in Japanese and this feels like a very appropriate title for this film. It was a very interesting film with a nice storyline and to an extent the makers did a good job of executing it. But still somehow something was missing to make this film really good. And I have thought hard on it and I still cant out my finger at the 'what'. Anyway, it's a unique take of being gay in countryside Japan and also what is it like for a foreigner to live in Japan. Lukas is an American expat living in countryside. He is an English teacher but can barely make ends meet. He dreams of buying a roadside cafe which is up for sale but can't afford it. His landlady secretly hopes that she can hook her daughter up with Lucas to marry him, since she has already spent time in US doing her graduation. In the same town, we meet Ken, who is half Japanese. His mother left him and went back to US when he was one year old ands father committed suicide. His uncle raised...