Movie Reviews -
Gay Themed

This series had been on my list of TV shows to watch for a while. But man, I was so disappointed. The show is primarily about young gays on their own and making a life in Memphis, Tennessee; about love, loss , friends and survival, but it just did not connect with me somehow. Billy is dealing with life after the loss of a relationship.  Daniel is trying to figure out how to express himself without hurting others.  Their friends are working on other issues like coming out and addiction. The only big difference here was setting it up in a small city instead of the two coasts. The show is 8 episodes of about 18-20 minutes each. Story is about these two friends and roommates Billy and Daniel. Daniel is an average promiscuous young gay man/wannabe artist with a huge personality and a fondness for a bit of fun with whoever comes along. HE also secretly has drug issues. Billy is a more reserved and laid back independent movie director who is on the look for something a little bit mor...

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...

I can't even begin to write how awful this mini series is. The story is so paper thin that it could have easily been told in less than 10 minutes. But these folks take 6 episodes of 25 minutes each, with long silences and scenery and flashbacks, just to extend the time. Agreed, this was likely made on phone on super low budget, but still. And then there are people like me, who are actually watching shit like this and continue to ask myself on why am I wasting my time. I think, I need a life. Simple story. Two friends Efres and Carlos are best buddies are in love with one another madly but neither has the courage to tell the other person. They both fear that they will lose friendship. Enter third guy Zander who likes Efres and has told him a few times that he likes him, but Efres makes it very clear he has feelings only for Carlos. One day Carlos sees Efres and Zander spending time and Zander's meek attempt to kiss Efres, it makes him angry and he decides too leave town thinking...

For those in the LGBTQ+ community who reside in the West, the greater freedoms and civil liberties that have emerged in recent decades have made life more fulfilling for this once-persecuted constituency. But, for those who live in more conservative lands, such rights and privileges have been slower to surface (and in fewer numbers at that). This is true even in somewhat more lenient countries like Turkey, where the somewhat more tolerant and cosmopolitan nature of cities like Istanbul have shown some progress but still lag behind other locales. This has compelled gay, transgender and bisexual individuals to continue to lead more subdued lives than their Western counterparts, keeping low profiles and even unwillingly engaging in traditional marriages to give themselves socially acceptable cover, particularly in more rural and remote areas. This is Not Me tells the story of unhappy gay men who have had to marry women to hide their sexual orientation in the face of societal and family pr...

This documentary is primarily about the maker searching the clubs and red-light districts of Tel Aviv for a trans woman rumored to have traveled there secretly from Gaza on foot. While the camera remains trained on various women through piercing close-ups, rare are the moments when the movie widens its scope, despite gesturing toward a larger picture. There is an old photograph that the maker have of this girl, a rumored trans woman who escaped the militarized confines of Gaza. The exact story of this phantom beauty seems to shift with each new person interviewed — one subject leads to the next in search of the Belle — and whether she exists at all, as a real person or a political fantasy, is frequently in doubt. Each girl tells a different possibility, implying what might happen to this Belle were she or her Palestinian origins discovered — deportation, or worse — while hinting toward the nightly troubles each of these women must navigate. The documentary interweaves the often tragic ...

How does one describe this gay film!! An extremely carefully designed and drafted film, it's a film within a film, about pitching a gay film to a producer who wants a “fun, sexy, Greek and low-budget” script. It has meta-commentary on queer filmmaking all over the place, incorporating several life-affirming themes. And to top that when you have gorgeous and handsome naked cast, and a cut dog, one's attention is automatically guaranteed. Demosthenes and Nikitas often sunbathe at a nude cruising spot in Greece. Nikitas needs to pitch a film idea over the weekend and he has nothing on hand. They both strike upon the idea of making a film about their “summer with Carmen”; a Chihuahua that Demos adopted from his ex-boyfriend Panos, two summers ago. The film then keeps going back and forth between present and two summers ago on what happened thats summer and the way it is presented to us is a film within a film format. We see how Demos had broken up with his boyfriend of 4 years Pano...

Do you have control over your own destiny, are you controlled by your fate, or are you a mere puppet in the hands of the gods? This is a question that this queer time-traveling film implicitly asks through its heartfelt melodrama. Whether it succeeds completely in passing on the emotions is a separate thing but with its gorgeous cinematography and some brilliant performances by the 4 leads, it does manage to keep you captivated an interested in the proceedings. Chen Yao Hua, a young man works in the Huan Nan Market at the butcher stall run by his family. His father Bao Ding, has seemingly gone mad with despair for mysterious reasons.  Accidentally traveling through time back to 1991, he joins the younger version of his father and his two friends, soon forming with them a happy gang of close, intimate friends. The gang mistakes him for a missing high schooler and he now finds himself being friends with younger version of his father, a close friend Anjian and the only female member. ...

A very simple slice of life gay love story about finding love. Just under 70 minutes, this film never goes over the top with unnecessary histrionics or anything like that. Having said that the conflicts get resolved very quickly (I wish it was that easy in real life), but I guess that the characters were deemed to have the kind of maturity. Hey look, I am not complaining. In my busy schedule, I finally found some time to catch up on a movie and I am glad this romantic comedy with no frills was a perfect break for me. Grey is a flamboyant and charming young man. He is helping out his lifelong best friend, Jonas on a stage play where Jonas is playing the lead. Jonas is a heartthrob with masculine appeal. While Jonas effortlessly navigates the gay dating scene, Gray struggles to find love, convinced that his effeminate style is an obstacle. But despite countless rejections, Gray remains hopeful. The duo used to have another friend Yates who has just returned from US. Yates used to be Grey...

"Queer Lives Today" is a series of diverse documentaries that offer intimate glimpses into the LGBTQ+ community. The series explores the journeys of individuals navigating various aspects of their identities, from sports to adoption to the pursuit of personal expression, all while highlighting resilience and the challenges they face. Commissioned to create 20-minute documentaries, these were telecast on British TV in 2022. The films narrate the tale of a trans boxer campaigning for the right to fight, Britain’s first out Muslim drag queen gender affirmation surgery journey and the struggles of two gay dads undergoing the adoption process. Always, Asifa As Asifa prepares to finally undergo gender affirmation surgery, the disabled trans activist, who is also Britain’s first out Muslim drag queen, reflects on how her life has - and hasn’t - changed during her transition. With Asifa having featured previously in documentaries on Channel 4 and the director, Shiva Raichandani, havi...

Watching films from almost 15 years back feels so nostalgic. The time that were, the kind of independent films that were made with minimal budget and production and sometimes very amateurish acting and direction. They used to be a good mix. This film, even though had its heart in the right place and must have been ok watching when it came out, felt very jaded watching it now. A young boy Darren arrives who arrives in Toronto seeking a new life. Running out of money, and with nowhere to live, he quickly is befriended by a group of rent boys with whom he had locked eyes a few times during last few days. The give him shelter and food while he figures out next steps. The group has Alex, another young boy very dependent on drugs, hallucinates in sleep and someone who feels like a problem child. His boyfriend is Steve, mature of the two, loves Alex and genuinely takes care of him. And then you have the big guy who makes sure everyone does enough "work" to have fodder" He tries...

I am absolutely fascinated by this documentary. Blond, blue-eyed, All-American Jack Wrangler was one of the top porn stars of the 1970s. He wasn't much of an actor but he gave the people what they wanted: beefcake. He rose to the top of the gay, and then straight, adult film industry. In this documentary Jack is fascinating and quite entertaining while he reminisces in everything that he has done or about his life so far. Comprised mainly of interviews with Wrangler and various other icons and experts, the film manages not only to provide a history of the man himself, but also a rundown of the early days of the industry. Jack was born into wealth to a family of a producer father and an actress mother but since his teenage years he knew he was attracted to men. He tried his hand at acting, but he soon realized he wasn't very good. Trying his hand at acting, Wrangler fell into the lucrative world of dinner theater, which gave him some recognition and Hollywood connections. One th...

Intersex is a topic that I snot often discussed and we really haven't seen much content about it. After all, it is a tricky subject. As it is, adolescence can be rough, regardless of your background or current circumstances, and on top of that if you have to spend time figuring out your gender, that could likely lead to a lot of therapy sessions, awkward moments and uncomfortable conversations. This film is story of one such teenager Adam, who is raised as a boy and how things change when he gets his first period. Adam, born with both male and female genitals was raised as a boy. He is a touch cookie who picks up fights with classmates if they bully him. This secret is only known to the family but hasn't bothered anyone till now. But things start to get complicated when he first falls for a new transfer in his school, and then immediately gets his first period. His parents consult a specialist doctor, who does some tests and it is confirmed that Adam has equal amount of both fe...

I have to hand it to the audacity of these French film makers to try and come up with a sequel to a film that was likely panned by most people. I remember I did not like the film at all and felt that the title totally suited the film. Imagine my surprise when I saw this sequel and once more, there could not have been a more apt title than 'Bizarre Again'. We are back in the world of Maurice and Lucas, this time 7 years later to witness whats transpiring in their life. We are 7 years later. Lucas and Maurice have never seen each other again and have no contact since the tragic events of the BIZARRE cabaret in New York. Lucas (is he a trans person? I am not sure since it is never clarified or maybe he is gender fluid) now lives in Denver, Colorado. He is married to a slightly older man who is the father of a 16-year-old child. One night Maurice just visits Lucas and sadly a shocking incident happens the same night. John/Lucas' son Marlon has just stabbed two black guys one of...

I am not sure how serious this film should be taken. It was an interesting idea likely in paper. Love will find you in most unexpected places and situations, but the way the treatment of the film is done, it came off to me as very amateurish, both from screenplay but also from acting pov. There were scenes that were unlikely supposed to excite the audience but somehow they just didn't work for me. A macho man Paulo is in an unhappy marriage with his wife and usually cycles around. One day after a serious argument with her, he gets lost while cycling and ends up in a forest like area known as the "Forest of whispers" a secret place where men meet for sexual purposes. Initially things around him, he finds it awkward. But he ends up finding himself drawn to a young twink blonde Luigi. Unhappy in his marriage, Paulo begins to frequent the forest often, and eventually gives into passion for Luigi's body. They connect every weekend in the forest and over the course of next ...

This dramedy film is about the new alternative family and how different family situations and relationships come to a head during the Christmas dinner when they are all in for a surprise. The concept of dysfunctional family, familial inadequacy and homophobia; it's all in here. But we also need to remember that this film came out almost 8-9 years back. So watching it today, definitely feels a bit dated. Simon and Oscar are a gay couple who have invited both their side of families for Christmas dinner. They have just moved into a new house and they want the familial family comfort. We first meet Oscar's Swedish parents. They are old and charming but also say wrong things at wrong times. They are rich and dad doesn't like the fact that Oscar has left all his education to pursue writing. There's Oscar's sister and his niece as well. Then we have Simon. His Greek parents are separated. Father works as a cleaner in the hotel the other parents were staying and the mother ...