Movie Reviews -
Gay Themed

One more DramaBox series stitched together like a film for audiences like me, making it easier to watch it all at Ince on iPhone. I am not sire how many gay web series like these have been released by DramaBox so far, but I think this is the fourth one that I am seeing. The show was cheesy, a bit unbelievable, but somehow still quite engaging, thanks to the short format and two handsome leads. At their grandmother's insistence, Andrew and Frank marry each other but never see each other's faces. The show starts with Andrew leaving for 1 year business overseas and handing his husband his credit card with a promise to come back and get divorced. One year later, Frank is interviewing for Personal assistant to his new boss William. William gets totally smitten by Frank's hot face and body and hires him and tries to seduce him. But Frank resists temptation for two reasons: One, in his previous job he was seduced by his boss who ended up putting blame on Frank since he was married...

Continuing with watching DramaBox series, this is another series of multiple short episodes stitched together as a movie in vertical format so it is easily watchable on phone. As I might have mentioned before, these shows are total guilt pleasures and they beautiful fit within a 90 minute range (plus or minus) making it an easy watch. The shows starts with one mafia taking over another's business and agrees to let him love, as long as his son Pietro can get married to his daughter Alice. 15 years later, Alice's brother Augusto can't stand that Alice will marry to mob son Pietro. He finds. Loophole in the contract and instead says that he will marry Pietro. What Augusto doesn't know is that since they were kids, Pietro has always like Augusto and he changed the contract to have that loophole. So Pietro very much loves Augusto but he doesn't believe it. Also with this marriage, the entire mafia community goes against this bog mafia family because they don't accept...

Set in Limerick city in Ireland, Cowboys and Angels depicts the growing friendship between two very different men and looks at the anxieties and challenges faced by young people trying to establish their identity in a modern city. It came almost 22 years ago, so of course in today's time the visual aesthetics feel quite dated, but it is a good mix of sexual freedom and youthful energy, friendship, drug, criminal presence during that time. 20 year old Shane, has just got anew government job and kinda. New roommate in Vincent, a gay fashion student. The duo slowly warm up to each other and niece friends where Vincent tries to make the shy Shane come out of his shell slowly by taking him out clubs and enjoy the vibrant night life in the city. Shane starts to like this barista girl, who happens to be Vincent's best friend but she is not much interested in Shane. Vincent wants to move to New York after studies. One day by accident Shane discovers some drugs in his apartment building...

This film is an ambitious costume drama with a very interesting storyline at its hand. Sadly, the low budget is very evident and for some reason, it takes away the fun because of it. I can totally see stuff like this happening in olden times when, just a. Whiff of homosexuality could land you in all kinds of troubles. Once you look past the budget, this film is actually not at all bad. Penelope is learning piano and has a crush of sorts on her teacher, but she doesn't control her destiny. She is married off, by her parents, to a shy and introverted Jonathan. They move into his family’s empty estate where not a great deal happens because of Jonathan’s hatred of social occasions and he generally prefers quiet life. The duo haven't even consummated their marriage and day by day Penelope's frustration grows. To her shock, one day when Penelope discovers that her new husband is having an affair with George the Butler, she finally understands Jonathan’s reclusive personality. Geo...

A heartwarming tale of dreams, identity and acceptance, set in a small community in the picturesque Westfjords of Iceland, this film was quite alright. I wouldn't call this film a gay film per say, but stories of self acceptance and being true to yourself and such themes are integral part of the film, so it does make sense to review it here. We meet two childhood friends Hjalti and Bjorn who run a fish restaurant in a fishing village they both grew up. Hjalti's wife and son moved to Reykjavik, after the son came out gay and was constantly bullied in school, so things between him and wife are not ok. Also he cannot accept that his son is gay. When Bjorn's father dies, he decides he has had enough and decides to come out as trans to his friend and the entire community. This is the same time when the dup also are getting an opportunity to keep their restaurant open throughout the year with a. New tour group starting northern light tours. When Bjorn comes out, suddenly Hjalti...

This series is the Japanese remake of Thai series of the same name. I wasn't sure of what to think of this remake, but as I started watching it, the memories of original Thai show kept coming. The premise and everything is same but with the Japanese flavor. The show has 8 episodes plus 2 special episodes and each varies between 24-30 minutes of run time. I am so glad that they reduced the runtime of this show drastically compared to the original Thai version (maybe something that Thai shows need to learn). The series follows the chaotic, steamy romantic lives of architecture students Rei and his best friend Kai, both architecture students. The show doesn't run them parallels, rather divides 4 episodes each to focus on their love life. Rei's meeting with his college alumni Arashi doesn't start on a good note. Arashi likes cars and bikes and works in a mechanic shop but also participates in illegal races. Although starting on the wrong foot, their romance eventually grows...

I am not much of a standup comedy viewer. I might have seen a few clips/reels here and there but watching a whole TV special is something, so I apologize of I dodged not know anything about Jerrod Carmichael. I went into this comedy special, blank, hoping to just enjoy it with no baggage of either the person or his previous work. In this latest HBO comedy special, he talks about the most intricate details of his life, his long-time boyfriend Michael and his current relationship with his family – to hilarious effect. Witty, brash, and funny, he reconciles that how much the fear of being outed made him forget about the one other thing that affects his everyday life: racism.  The show starts with his struggles with internalized homophobia and rampant infidelity. He talks about online trolling for having a white boyfriend and how maybe he has something against black folks. He also admits rather sheepishly that he still seeks the approval of Black people, which likely has to do with his...

Part of a trilogy, one of which I have already reviewed in my blog, this film is about two colleagues with very different approaches to sex and romance. Honest, thoughtful, and daringly talky as it observes modern dating customs in the age of apps, this may test your patience because it is heavily dialogue focused and a lot of time it also feels like the film maker wants to give an ode to city of Oslo, just like his previous film 'Sex' was. I wouldn't call this specifically a gay themed film, but one of the characters is gay and we do get an insight on gay perspective around sex, love, relationships through his perspective which is interesting. The film starts with Marianne, a physician specializing in urology, giving a patient the news about prostate cancer. The make nurse Tor spots that the patient may not have understood and absorbed what has just been told to him, and makes sure to seek him out to get further clarifications. The subtle scene tells us that Marianne may u...

n00b is a New Zealand coming-of-age romantic comedy-drama television series. Set in the town of Gore, it is primarily about Nikau, a high school student who becomes a social outcast after being outed. He becomes a social outcast and along with a group of "freakish friends and foes" traverses the complicated world of high school, and the internet, in search of the confidence to be his true self. The show is 6 episodes of about 20-23 minutes each. The series is set in 2005 with bad fashion choices, emo music and flip phones, which also serves as a love-letter to the internet. Nikau is a popular high school student and a star rugby player and captain. Secretly he has been writing gay fan fiction stories on the internet. In real life he has a girlfriend Lauren, who dreams of making it big in LA. She is pretty but also like a bitch putting herself always before anyone else. Nikau is finding it difficult to lead double life and Lauren is  getting increasingly frustrated at the lack...

This is an American BL that was released in vertical format (suitable to view on phones) on DramaBox. Though the show was released as multiple episodes of 1-2 minutes each, I saw them as a whole series of 2 parts, totaling to almost a 3 hour program. The makers claimed that it was the first American vertical series. I guess I will take their word for it. Season 1 came out in 2024, while Season 2 debuted in 2025 taking the story forward. Since this was released more like a reel format, you have to literally leave your brain behind and watch this show just for entertainment and not for logic and only then you would be able to enjoy the show.  Season 1 introduces us to Lucas, a young heir to an influential crypto company. His father wants Lucas to marry Sophia, daughter of an influential politician (who wants this so that he can embezzle all his black money). Lucas fake announces he is gay and that he cannot marry a woman. In parallel, a man named Michael Wyatt had just infiltrated th...

“I’ll never stop loving you”—can anyone keep this promise? A romantic love story of two young boys, when the two meet by chance, their instant chemistry ignites a passionate affair that challenges them both to confront their desires and aspirations. An interesting premise, but I felt a lot of context was missing in the film and let's talk about that a bit later. Orlando is a dance student working part time as a go-go dancer in a popular gay bar, and Marco is a nursing student working part time in a hotel. They meet by chance on the street one day and they both have this instant crackling chemistry that they can't keep their hands off each other. Orlando is also applying to a reality dance completion in hopes to make it bug. Marco in the meantime, wants to be a good nurse as has been his dream. They duo start a passionate love story and before you know they move in, loving each other and supporting each other's career. But somewhere along the path, they start growing apart. ...

Set in the 1950s post-war America, a seemingly sensible newlywed and her wayward brother-in-law undertake parallel journeys of risk, romance, and self-discovery. In this new world, some people went after security, while others went after thrill and living life to the fullest. With the combination of romance, exploration of sexuality, gambling; this film was interesting to watch, but also somehow felt a little short of becoming really good. This queer period drama explores the challenges of coming out in the 1950s. Back fresh from the war, Julius shows up at his older brother Lee's girlfriend Muriel's door. Strikingly gorgeous, we see that Julius and Muriel have a chemistry. Lee and Julius always had a plan to move to California, buy house and live together and Muriel expects that Julius will follow through only to be disappointed. 6 months later Lee and Muriel are married in California trying to make a life for themselves, while Julius finds himself in Vegas for life's thri...

A gay romantic comedy is always a good way to move on from pride month. The film interestingly mixes cuteness and awkwardness using stereotypical formulas but has realistic characters. The movie needed more finesse in acting and and a bit more tighter ending, because the story is as predictable as it gets. Two unlikely guys meet, sparks fly, start dating, one of them is reluctant to make a commitment and/or express true feelings, they have a major falling out, and then something happens that probably brings the couple back together. We have all heard/seen it before but it's the treatment that makes all the difference. Set in New York City, Zack Anthony, an overweight guy, is a wannabe novelist and the film starts with a hot guy fathoming him after sex. He feels “stuck” in life because he’s unemployed, his aspiring career as a novelist has stalled and of course he is conscious of his body. And even though he says he doesn't want love, you can tell he is a romantic. We meet anoth...

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 hets the fake id. In another we see how he was thrilled when his detecti...

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...

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...

Oh my!! This series shows teen angst in such detail and deep, especially in today's world of social media and TikTok; being a teenager is something I absolutely do not miss. Remember the days, when you don't know if your crush likes you back or not, or you wait for hours to hear a response back to your message. To not have to second-guess and burn in your own self-imagined hell of rejection, before even a confession can be made. All this and more is shown frustratingly well in this series. Although you feel like shaking these teenagers every time they do something stupid, because it's like A likes B, who likes C, but C likes D, and D likes A while some of these are close friends too. This is a royal teen mess, sometimes in the truest sense of way. 7 episodes each about an hour or longer.  We have four main characters here. Fou4Mod starts to crush onhis senior Chian since he sees him at the train station. The two start bond by getting their nails done together, however, Chia...

To make sure that this show gets a proper release (given restrictions around BL content in China), the makers of this show partnered with A Singapore studio to get around the usual restrictions and censorship that would have otherwise been imposed on it. The core of the story are our two lead actors who play stepbrothers Gu Shi and Shen Nan, who face adversity after falling in love with each other. The show has 6 episodes of about 45-50 minutes each and a final 10 minute special episode after. The problem with the story is the ending, which feels incomplete or even worse makers not knowing what would be the best way. Anyway, more on that later. Shen Nan, a dentist by profession, has taken sometime off from work and is visiting his father. There he meets a woman whom his father is set to marry who has a son named Gu Shi. After initial head butting, the two boys warm up to each other and a special bond starts to develop between the two, almost an unrequited love, but soon Gu Shi dies in ...

The first word heard in “Feeling Randy” is “boner,” which, when taken together with the film’s title, promises a salacious and raunchy comedy. Set in the Bay Area in the 1970s, “Feeling Randy” offers a humorous and sensitive portrayal of coming to terms with one’s sexuality. Although to be honest, I had a bit of struggle whether or not to classify the film in an LGBTQ+ genre, because audience is given a hint of the protagonists sexuality, but its never really said out loud or even put in your face. But it was the 70s, and it was likely hard for any young bot to admit to even himself that he likes other boys. The film is apparently a semi autobiographical project. The title is a clever play on both the main character's name and the British slang term for horniness.  Randy has three close friends and they are all obsessed with losing virgnity and getting laid. It's this hormonal obsession that drives them to take a road trip to The Kitty Ranch, a low-grade brothel in Nevada. They...

Yet another coming of age film where a 16 year old teenager decides that it's time to come out. Otto’s family try to be supportive at all the wrong moments of his journey to find himself, with hilarious timing, making some of those moments awkward for the teen. The best part about the film is that there are no sad moments, just a vibrant, exciting, endearing tale with funny moments from the entire cast. Yes, some may feel that the film is full of cliches, but I had a good time with a smile on my face. No one is saying that this is great cinema, but hey, films like these still help teenagers at grasping and understanding their own sexuality especially for those who are struggling with it. 16 year old Otto has massive imagination and he always dreams of how a particular situation could play out. On his birthday he decides to come out to his family. His sister is very supportive and unexpectedly so is his father , but his mother needs some time. He goes to school and wonders if he sho...