Movie Reviews -
Gay Themed

This documentary tells the story of people who transformed into their true selves. Everyone has labels, but let's imagine a future without them. Three members of Toronto’s trans community who graciously share their stories in Unlabelled. Each in different stages of their transitions, Lucah, Emery, and Lucy open up about identity and gender dysphoria, their experiences with hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgery, and their unique paths to becoming the extraordinary individuals they are today. The doc highlights the diversity of trans experiences, sharing not only the painful moments of their journeys, but also the abundance of joy, love, and community each has found.  Each one may have started off in fear and not being able to be who they who they knew they were, or were trying to figure it out, but in the end, they found their sense of community and people who love them, and they were able to become the people who they want to be. They graciously take us on a journey through ...

I am quite sure that this film likely got popular just because of Gal Gadot. I was also quite excited to see it but sadly she is just as much a prop in this film, as in many films the actresses are. A sports comedy film, it tells us a story of a popular soccer player who is forced to pretend to be gay and everything that happens after that. Honestly the film neither evokes laughter nor does it really address the issue of homophobia. Soccer player Shushan is the dream of Jerusalem team. One night when he tries to flirt with a girl Mirit, he has no idea that she is an unwilling moll for ruthless gangster Mr. Black . To save face, Mr. Black tells Shushan that he must publicly announce that he is gay, if he wishes to live. Of course the guy has no choice. Right after the announcement, he set how homophobic his team players are and also the management of the team does not support him. The worse is that even fans give up on him and start calling him Shoshana. Rest of the film is about his Sh...

There is a scene in this film where the film maker takes his script to show to a producer (?) and he remarks saying, 'I don't understand what this film is about' and that is exactly what I felt having watching the film. I just wasn't sure what the film is about. Online reviews call it a self-reflective fiction that muses on what we find comic about the human condition, and what can reduce us to tears. Made for festival circuits and arthouse cinema, there was absolutely nothing that I liked about this film. Joseph is a gay man and a film maker who has a 3 year old son Pino with his best friend Sonya. He broke up with his boyfriend more than 3 years ago and is now planing to make a passionate comedy film. Sonya returned prematurely from the clinic dealing with depression and she needs to go back there. His meetings with the producer who keeps asking for what he wants to make next creating another weird scenario especially when producer chews dog treats and gives it to t...

The second season of this show was pretty messy according to me. Numreous characters are introduced in every episode and after a while it is so hard to keep a track on who's who, what they are doing, what is their motivation etc etc. As it is the show wasn't great to begin with, but Iw as hoping that some of the stories that were left open in season 1 would be tackled and completed here, but I was disappointed. After a point I didn't even care and wanted to just know a little bit more about 3-4 characters who I had connected with in season 1 and see what happens. So in my very brief review here, thats all I will talk about. This season was 6 episodes of about 20-30 minutes. 18 year old virgin Marco finally gets lucky, when his straight friend agrees that he also likes Marco and is open to trying to do something. They both have their first sexual experience , which is both awkward, messy and clearly they were unprepared. Marco is still very much into open, but his experience...

I am really not sure what was this film trying to say! A film which is set more like a theatre/play sort of an environment had a few subplots going on and none of them come to a logical conclusion. Maybe the film, through its various characters, is supposed to examine distance and closeness in relationships, but the way it does is so uninspiring and boring. I mean, maybe it wasn't a bad film, but it was just plain boring. The primary characters are Boris and Jonathan, a gay couple who have been together for a few years. But their relationship has reached a point where they might as well spend their evenings together separately: One lies in bed reading, the other works at a desk in the next room. Boris is an actor who begins to confuse work and reality and Jonathan is a writer challenged to face his various fears, mainly of death. Boris is rehearsing for a film where he is supposedly cheating on his wife with a younger man, played by an actor Tim. Because of the strained relationshi...

Oscar Wilde has had quite a few films made on him covering various chapters of his life. I was looking forward to this film hoping to learn something new again, but this film really could've done with a round of storyboarding and editing and maybe a script or even a premise. This pseudo documentary style film reimagines the famous novelist’s 1882 tour of America as taking place at a present-day coast-to-coast road trip. According to the makers, the film is an optimistic reflection of contemporary life in the U.S., where the flamboyant Wilde can find the self-liberation and acceptance that eluded him in his own era. In 1882, the 27-year-old Wilde embarked on a 150-city tour of the United States, which set records for ticket sales at many of the venues he appeared and made nationwide headlines. Despite never having been to America before, Wilde was hailed and welcomed as a literary genius with an unflagging spirit and a unique wit — both of which are conveyed in the film. This romp r...

The makers had a good thoughtful subject on their hand and still they decided to make this like a Japanese Pink film, instead of actually seriously making this film. It could have been a huge advantage if they did that. I believe I watched a censored version with only a minimal sex scenes but even those does not fit in a serious cinema and a subject like this which had potential. University student Ryo is having a relationship with his classmate Natsuo. To begin with its only physical, but soon when Natsuo moves in with Rio, they have a good connection and almost love situation going on. We also meet Ryo's father Shinya, who one day shows up unannounced. Ryo doesn't have a very good relationship with him and considers him a womanizer. Shinya is a singer/song writer. Through flashback, we are told that in his younger days, Shinya had a love affair with another man who also helped him writhe lyrics of his favorite song and they had a good thing going until one day Shinya's si...

Oh my god!! What were the makers thinking? This series is so painfully dull and boring. After paying attention for 3-4 episodes, I Was so lost and really couldn't care less about our main protagonist. With 10 episodes each of 15-20 minutes duration, this series and its purpose made no sense to me. I expected better from Taiwan. Also, I am quite shocked to see some glowing reviews about this show. I am clearly missing out on the hidden trend here. Raccoon is a handsome and famous gay influencer. One night at a bar, he hooks up with a guy, they have a great chemistry and the next thing you know they are sharing intimate moments. Raccoon, who struggles with severe insomnia, admits he relates to Endymion. Every time Raccoon tries to sleep, he hallucinates, blurring the line between dreams and reality. He has had these issues for a while and when pills did not work he is seeing a sleep therapist. Instead of improving, Raccoon's condition worsens. Each night, he experiences bizarre d...

How did Hollywood pitch movies about gays and lesbians between 1953 and 1977? Here are theatrical trailers for 27 mainstream and art-house films, presented chronologically from "Tea and Sympathy" to "Outrageous!" More than half are films released between 1968 and 1972. Half are dramas and half are comedies, with farce dominating the films released after 1971. At least three advertise X-rated films: "The Killing of Sister George," "Midnight Cowboy," and Visconti's "The Damned." A collection of vintage movie trailers offering a crash course in lesbian, gay, bi and transgender movie history. Features virtually every major mainstream queer-themed film produced during that time. This fast-paced overview offers a crash course in gay and lesbian movie history and a colorful look at the best (and worst) Hollywood hard-sells of gay and lesbian "subject matter." Archivist Jenni Olson is one of the world’s leading experts on LGBT fil...

I thought the first season of Wreck was pretty average, so I wasn't quite keen on the sequel. While looking at the stuff backlog that I have to watch, I chanced upon season 2 and watched it and I have to say that I was so underwhelmed with the season 2. After watching the show, I started wondering how do I qualify of a content is LGBTQ+ enough for me to review here or not. Should it focus on issues and sexual identity (which is what my definition has ben most times), but then there comes shows like this, where we have plenty queer characters but it is not about sexuality. They are just in situations they have to deal with and they happen to be gay. Normally I stay away from such because if not for gay storyline or identity or something, I may not have watched some of these series/films in the first place.  Taking it away from the cruise ship, we see Jamie and Vivian now living together alongside Lauren and working to bring their enemies down whatever the cost. The trio are having l...

This was yet another one of those Thai teenager gay dramas that just feels wrong too watch. These boys barely look 13 or 14 years old and having to watch them talk about love, sex and be naughty made me very uncomfortable. Thankfully, it is only 4 episodes of about 20-22 minutes each, but still a simple yet uncomfortable story to see Tankhun is a young boy who loves to drive his scooter fats. Worried bout that, his father takes away his scooter and instead asks his friend's son Kim to pick and drop from school. The friendship starts blooming. Kew knows he is gay but Tankhun is interested in a girls ho he realizes just liked to get gifts from boys. When another boy in the class starts sowing interest in Kim, that makes Tankhun jealous and he doesn't know what's happening. But everytime he sees them together, he doesn't like it and tries to break thier bond. Eventually he confesses to Kim that he likes him. But Tankhun still is uncomfortable accepting that in public which...

Oh god! This was such a disaster film. I heard that this was a series also at some point, and I can only imagine what that would have been like. I have always said that some of these Thai series need to be squeezed into a film size format, but even in that form, some of these can be really bad. The film is about 90 minutes long and doesn't have a proper ending. It ends with scaring us with a promise of part 2. Not sure when that will come out (of it will ever come out) Through flashbacks we are told that 6 months ago, Night was seduced by a guy named Gear, who sleeps with him and make sure a video of them having sex, leaving Night into mental trauma. But we are never told what he does with that video. Back to present, when Gear sees Night in a club, his feelings of him get very strong and he wants to pursue him. Meanwhile Night's older brother Day wants to take revenge about. This incident and he kidnaps Gear's best friend Itt, who was the master mind behind making a video....

A Korean BL with one of the leads being a Thai actor. Sounds fun, isin't it!! But trust me, this show was really awful and disappointing. There was no plot, no chemistry, no romance, no anticipation to watch the next episode and I really didn’t care about what will happen next. Even the romantic track felt so forced, almost unnecessary and awkward, even the confession part, I didn’t feel anything watching it. The series felt like some random plot thrown with the awkward romantic scene. The series was 12 episodes each of about 18 minutes. Uno, a This actor working in Korea is popular for his good looks. But because of his aloofness, there is a perception that he is arrogant and hence not many folks want to work with him. His manager, CEO Choi, wants to soften Uno's image by signing him up for a reality show that can restore his goodwill. One day, Uno finds an injured dog on the road and he ask his assistant to take him to a vet, despite his fear of dogs. He is treated but the ve...

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 ...

Another one of those trashy shows from Signal23TV. This one can easily be classified as glorified porn if the first episode and the others that follow are to be seen and believed. With 10 episodes of about 18-20 minutes each, the show started well. At least there was supposed to be a story, but soon you realize that the target audience is very different. I like porn as much as the other person, but what I do not want is to be tricked into watching a series which ends up being porn. Tex is released from prison and enters the new world where he enters a journey of finding himself. He is a prison inmate serving time for attempted murder when he lashed out on a gay basher and almost kills him. Tex is a dark soul and is very disconnected with the world because of his past. His life changes when he is released from prison on a new program and has to transition to becoming a law abiding citizen again. Johnson is assigned to his case as a parole officer and is challenged to breakdown the walls...

Bare documents the creation of an all-male, all-naked modern dance piece by Belgian dancemaker Thierry Smits; from audition to opening night. Told with neither an erotic whisper nor a juvenile giggle, Bare celebrates the male body in all its complexity, might, and vulnerability. Anima Ardens features 11 male dances, all of whom appear completely nude for the duration of the performance. The furiously hypnotic energy of the performance invites audiences to explore the male body, which rarely receives the same level of aesthetic consideration in fine art as female nudes do. This doc films the 11-month preparation for Anima Ardens and offers a window into a unique artistic collaboration. The auditions introduce a unique dynamic that transforms as the film progresses. Smits asks his prospective dancers if they have read the performance description in full and understand that the piece is to be done in the nude. Several dancers are visibly surprised and uncomfortable as they begin crossing ...

Scruffy and very messy, this resolutely ridiculous English-language comedy from Germany, is so incredibly random that trying to find a coherent story amidst the chaos is actually impossible. I guess the makers were trying to make a satire with a very awkward approach. I will admit that satire is not my favorite genre, but if done right, it can be very entertaining. This film sadly falls flat at many places and jokes don't land. It's like as if the writers were high or something while "writing" this mess of a script. Father Andy Gaylord invites his friend Captain Faggotron because he knows someone called Queen Bitch, an alien from another planet, is hellbent on making Earth homosexual. Through flashback, we are told that Andy and Queen Bitch are ex-lovers but Andy never wanted to accept his homosexuality and they break up. And now Queen is teaming up with his outer-space cohort to turn Earth into a homosexual planet, by staging a staggeringly profane ceremony at the mo...

There we go again. Musicals!! Not my cuppa tea. But to be fair, this film just doesn't have enough material on hands to make it even a convincing story. A tribute to 1990s indie rockers Indigo Girls, it provides backdrop for summer love between a circus performer and a struggling musician. As their relationship deepens, however, realities and uncertainties about the future threaten to tear them apart. Glitter is a wannabe clown from a wealthy and privileged family who just wants to go to circus school in Paris. His mother just wants her son to do something reasonable with his life. And then we have Doom, a gloomy and a struggling songwriter, who believes every tune should be dark and/or sad. Is fathe his out of picture and mother is in prison. The two men meet purely by chance. Their eyes meet, and soon enough, they're at a night club where they dance and sing through the night, closing out the bar, moving on to a restaurant where they talk about the idea of making small talk, ...

I wish I knew before I started watching the film that this is another one of those Japanese pink films (soft porn). I should have read something before, because occasionally films like this one sneak in, which is NOT why I write this blog. I wanna write about non-porn stuff mostly. And this pink films from Japan fall in the grey area. Honestly I thought these were a thing from 90s. I didn't realize that even now some film makers are trying to cash in on the nostalgia probably. Simple story here.Yuuki is the CEO of a pharmaceutical company. When he sees a young boy named Takeru, he reminds him of a crush he used to have on this guy in his younger days. He follows this boy and his boyfriend to his apartment. Frustrated, he goes back to some guy asking for a potion to make him young and lo behold, Yuuki is now a 23 year old man. He approaches Takeru and they have mad sex. Turns out because of family pressure, this was Yuuki's first time having sex with anyone. Suddenly a man enter...

I did not realize that we can have a film of the same name that was released merely a year ag. I guess the rules are different in different countries. Anyway, here we are again with a film of same name, albeit, this time it is a horror/slasher genre unlike the gay romantic one that came out earlier. That said this slasher/cheesy film is just not worth your time. It is not bad, but it is just boring. I mean when you are not able to connect with any character and you don't even care if they get murdered, then clearly a lot is missing here. The story is about a straight couple, a lesbian couple and their single gay friend Troy going to Fire Island for the weekend. Troy's boyfriend recently committed suicide and since then he has been in sort of depression, so this trip is also to help him cheer up. Slowly murders start to happen on the island. First we see one of the guys in a long term gay relationship gets killed, then it's the straight couple who was visiting and soon one o...