Movie Reviews -
Gay Themed

The 2006 film ‘Boy Culture’ returns for a TV series sequel, and original stars who played X and Andrew are back to reprising their roles all these years later. I had to go back and remind myself what the film was about (blame it on my age), memories came back and then I was excitedly looking for this sequel. This on-again, off-again couple, now both 40, broken up and tensely sharing a home out of financial necessity go through the changing dynamics of the gay world and especially escorting. X and Andrew are now no longer a couple. So X decided to get back into the escorting business after more than 10 years, but he’s in for a rude awakening. He’s no longer the flavor of the month, and the entire industry has been transformed by changing attitudes, online platforms, gen Z thinks. We meet a young Twink Chayce, who surprisingly became friends with X at one of the tricks house and who takes on upon himself to guide X back into the business. As X keeps his aging body fit, and his unusual ro...

Almost always, there is a reason that people in relationships split. Some try to get back together but very few are successful at that, but overnight, as humans, its hard to overcome the differences that must have led to the split in the fist. But maybe both parties don't feel the same and this is different. And this is what probably this film is trying to show. How to overcome your love and move on. Different people react to these situations differently, even though sadly the outcome is gonna be the same eventually. José and David used to be a couple but then split. 8 years after they first met, they decide to spend together in La Palma island where they met, to see if they can give their relationship another shot. Immediately falling into bed together, José and David naïvely believe that they can rekindle what they once had but a wild few days tests their relationship and stirs up past issues. They meet their lesbian couple friends and it's not too late that the cracks start ...

I just finished watching the third and final season of this dark comedy drama. As I had mentioned in my previous post, thatches kind of situational and sharp comedy may not be everyone's cuppa tea and I know this, because I recommended this to a close friend of mine who cannot sit beyond the first two episodes of the show. But after the first two seasons, which personally I enjoyed quite a bit, I was looking forward to the final chapter. This. Time also the show is 8 episodes of 20-24 minutes each. The season starts with Sabi still reeling with two incidents: their father's death and the kiss with former boss/complicated friend Bessy. As always Sabi mean is good at keeping all of their complicated emotions bottled up and ignoring Bessy and her entire family.  Life is people around them also is show in detail. We see how the father's death has changed some family dynamics. Sabi's sister decides to move out and later in the season becomes pregnant, adding more to the dram...

There’s very little that sets “Perfect Propose” apart from the dime-a-dozen romantic series out there, and the pace of the show is quite flat. Still with only 6 episodes of about 24 minute each, it did manage to hold my attention. Yes, things get repetitive with very little focus on romance and more on one of our protagonists workplace madness; but still I would look forward to the genuine interaction between two friends who are lonely in their own ways and are looking for company but wont admit. My brain says the show is strictly average but I was still able to cherish it. Having said that, I will not remember much of it in a few weeks time. Hiro works in an IT company is grossly overworked. His manager continues to give him more and more work Hiro endures all the workplace abuse, lacking the courage and motivation to defend himself. One night suddenly a guy named Kai enters his life. Turns out Hiro and Kai were briefly friends as kids and Kai used to joke that he will marry Hiro. The...

I really tried and hoped that I would like the series. I had heard some favorable reviews of the show and hence was hoping to see something nice. But the show just did not click with me. The premise of twins taking each other's place is something we have seen before (albeit not in BL world), but in this series one person has to take up dual identity which makes the story more interesting. But sadly, the BL content and romance is minimum and occasional scenes of muscular physiques and steamy encounters of other characters can hold your attention only so much. Plus the series is 12 episodes of almost 50-60 minutes each.  Sprite and Zee are identical twins, separated at childhood after their parents divorce. Zee is now a star volleyball player while Sprite trains in his university's jujitsu club.  Zee doesn't get along with the others. Everyone else hates his arrogance and alienates him from the group. The only friend he has is the girl Salmon, the team's manager. Another ...

Another one of those Vietnamese series which has all kind of toxic traits, stereotypical characters, predictable storyline and you , as an audience keep wondering why was the series made. The plot is outrageous, most side characters are despicable and totally hate-worthy, not that our lead character is any better; and worst of all the editing of the show is so bad that at many places you just keep wondering what and how did that random scene pop in between. Also at 14 episodes of about 20 or more minutes each, this is stretched beyond it needed to. Thach is a wealthy restaurant owner who lost his eyesight in accident. His ex-girlfriend Linh checks up on him and pretends to show concern. However, she only cares about going after his fortune, especially his restaurant chain which Thach vehemently refuses. She then hopes a caretaker Phuc, a university student to take care of him (so far sounds like a recent Thai series that I saw, but trust me, the similarities end here). Phuc has a lousy...

Let's start by saying that this is NOT a gay themed film. If anything, this falls more in the category of coming-of-age movie about students and friendship with a very significant focus on the LGBTQ+ aspect of people, life and things and hence it deserves to be reviewed here. It tries to deal with various spectrums, what is love etc and evokes a sense of nostalgia, capturing the whimsical adventures of youth. It may not be trying to say anything new per se, but I think the way the screenplay is set and the interactions between the friends is shown, I found myself quite enjoying the film. The setting is a cram school in 1994 where not so brilliant students are coached to pass the university entrance exams. We meet friends Cheng Heng and Cheng Hsiang, who are just treble makers and do not focus on studies. Cheng Heng wants to study film making but his family is opposed. The friends live together since Change Hsiang comes from a very poor background and Heng's family essentially t...

Gemmel & Tim is a documentary about Gemmel “Juelz” Moore and Timothy “Tim” Dean, two black men who died of methamphetamine overdoses, administered by political and LBGTQ activist Ed Buck in his West Hollywood apartment.  First of all, I am almost embarrassed to say that I had no clue of tis case so far till I watched this film. And secondly, it's a shame hen you realize how some marginalized sections of the society have to go through all kinds of hurdles to get justice. This meticulously researched and moving documentary is almost a must watch for folks out there. It is a true crime documentary done really really well. We start the documentary by knowing that Gemmel and Tim does in 2017 and 2019 respectively. They were both young, gay, Black men who lived in the West Hollywood area of Los Angeles, and whose paths crossed with a man named Ed Buck. Buck is a well-known donor to the Democratic Party who would invite young Black men to his apartment and give them drugs. Gemmel and ...

I think I mentioned before that food based BL shows are the new genre that I have found enjoying myself, so with a title like this, I was looking forward to it. And honestly the first two episodes were rock solid. The character introductions were nice, their chemistry was good and the way they go from enemies to friends to possible lovers was done really right. Their sweet and delightful flirting has a touch of sentimentality. But as happens with most nice things, the makers had to mess it all up by creating conflicts that were so forced and just so ridiculous. Also why focus on a toxic trait of one of the leads making him so dislikable, I don't understand. Anyway, on a positive note, the series is only 6 episodes each lasting almost 50-55 minutes long. Peach is a baker who sells homemade cakes with his grandmother at low price to keep customers happy. He dreams of running his own restaurant someday. At the same time we meet a bakery Temptations, who head chef Shin makes his specia...

Sex, Drugs, partying, love and anguishing the aftermath of a shooting on the pride parade day. This is how one can try to attempt describe what the film is about. I am not sure if there was an attempt tp tell a concrete story here, but it feels like the makers were going for a realistic depiction of the reality of use if excessive drugs within gay community. the feeling of being high, reaching for fantasy, the distortion of reality, and loss of control; are all here with the kind of ending that you leave you confused between reality and imagination. The story, yes there is a little, is basic. Guy and his best girl-friend Joy are all set and ready to enjoy the pride parade, when their bliss is abruptly put to an end by a deadly shooting. Fleeing the scene into the safety of Guy’s home, they take in a fellow pride parader, Dan, who seems in shock and is crying on the stairs of Guy's building. They calm him up , let the drugs wear off and Dan decides to leave. Afraid to go out, and gl...

17 (USA) A 17-year-old boy struggling to find intimacy at school or at home seeks it through a gay hook-up app. A profound beautiful crafted film, reflecting, in precise, fair, honest manner the steps of a teenager for what he feels as happiness after a moment in high school yard. Simple short 11 minute film. Hippopotamus (USA) Left alone to caretake a gay nude resort closed for the season, a man finds himself confronted by what he can see and what he can't. When everything is visible, when nothing is hidden, it's not just what you see - but what sees you, too. Weird yet sexy. Steam! - The Musical (USA) A contemporary Western about the conductor of a tourist steam train who thinks he’s going to find excitement ditching his boyfriend for an outlaw… but of course, the reality is something much different. I wanted to like this film but somehow didn't connect with me. Dominant Species (USA) A group of alien energies come to Earth and inhabit male human forms. Under the guidance...

This is a simple love story between a man with a troubled past relationship who occasionally gets panic attacks and a guy who tries and helps him to get over the insecurities. At the surface this may seem like yet another BL series, but there were facets of it, that I appreciated and we will talk more about that a little later. And also, with just 8 episodes each of about 15 minutes, some may think that this doesn't give enough time for character building; but IMO this was perfect. Anything longer would have tilted the impact. Sure, the makers could have done with slightly less characters and could have focused more on the leads, but it's all good. Seung Jun is a vocal coach and also sings at weddings. But he has a very shy personality and takes medicine to manage his anxiety. He only has one closest friend who lives in the same building as him and possibly also has a one-sided crush at him. During one of these weddings, Seung Jun meets pianist Jae Hyun, who owns a coffee shop ...

Myanmar is not really known for BL content, but following the footsteps of its neighboring countries, here is a 8 part series that is a decent first step in the BL story direction. The episodes lasting 27 minutes each are sometimes slow but are not only trying to tell a story but are also a travelogue of sorts to showcase the rich cultural history of Bagan. As a first attempt it is decent, but there is so much obvious product placement and tourism focus that sometimes the core of the story gets lost somewhere in between. More on that later. The show started in Dec 2023 and ended in Feb this year. Mani and Lyan are two friends who have grown up together and forged a close bond and they spend a lot of time together. Mani is a tour guide and there is a new client Sam who has specifically asked to use his tour services to explore Bagan. He is originally from Bagan but moved very early to US and is now here to search for his biological parents. His real name is Walar and has a boyish charm ...

This film had an interesting premise to show us a modern take on friendship and relationship, but the film ultimately falls flat due to an abundance of issues with the story, script, and production of this film. There is a lot of talk talk talk, which really adds nothing to the eventual plot of the film. It's like watching two couples spending a weekend together and hearing to their jibber-jabber with awkward acting which feels very very rehearsed. Ira and Josh have been a long term gay couple for almost 10 years. Ira is an agent in entertainment world and Josh is wannabe actor and since his career is not doing too well, he has become almost a home carer. Its weekend and they decide to spend it in they holiday home. We get a hint that Josh is not very happy since Ira is always busy and doesn't appreciate the efforts Josh takes to keep things together. This weekend Ira surprises Josh by saying that his childhood best friend Roger will be coming over for a visit. They had been es...

Only if sleek production value could make a good series, this show would have been up there. But this show is all over the place. The convoluted narrative in the second half of the show takes it to whole another level, except the level only goes down. It started ok with fast race cars, steamy love making scenes (even though the premise was very far fetched), but still three episodes into it, and I sort of knew that this is a show I am not going to like very much. And ended that happened. Also with episodes lasting almost 50-60 minutes each, it does take up a long long time to sit through the show.  Babe also known as Pit Babe is a famous race car driver who can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch with remarkable intensity. This ability gives him a competitive advantage during races since he can react to the track and his opponents quickly. He has a winning streak with many championships. Him and his group of friends work together as the pit crew including Way, his best friend from c...