Movie Reviews -
Gay Themed

Seems like this has become a trend to make films based on true stories and why not! They add a certain authenticity and people are likely to connect more with such stories. This film set in Tel Aviv about saints, sinners and sex is an interesting addition to this list. Treading on the fine line of sexuality and religion in the country, we get to see a facade where certain self appointed religious leaders will go to any extent, in the name of love and God, to treat people and absolve them of their 'sins'. We meet our hero Binyamin, who is only into BDSM sex and doesnt enjoy it until someone physically hurts him. We se this in a couple of explicit sex scenes. He lives alone having moved away from his family. Over time we get to know that the is trying to remove himself from a trauma of accidental death of his brother for which he blames himself and also the fact that his family never approved of him being gay. He meets a nice new neighbour he likes, but their thing doesn’t immedi...

The practice of conversion and aversion therapies marks a very dark chapter in the gay history. Surgical, chemical and electrical experiments being carried out on gay men held in psychiatric institutions with the intention to alter their sexual orientation. One such historical piece is shown in this film, showing some of these traumatic practices and the impact it had on people, setting his film in the Britain of 1920s. At the same time, it's also a stunningly tender portrayal of love, loss, and the complexities of human emotion. The film swings back and forth between timelines to give us a glistening account of queer love and an account of the dubious conversion therapy in those times. The film begins in an asylum for gay men where the nurses work as “dates” to get these men back on track. Owen is lucky to have Dorothy, a good-hearted nurse who is new to both romantic novels and dating. Owen is going through a writers block for his second book and this is when through flashbacks w...

I am surprised that I had not heard of this mini series that came out back in 2020. Clearly the show did not get as popular as some of its counterparts, but I still think it deserves viewing. Pulse follows a group of seven friends in a sleepy, indeterminate suburb somewhere outside of Copenhagen, whose entangled lives unravel when secrets they carry unwantedly begin to emerge. The foal point of the story is about a gay relationship and to what extent some people go in the name of holophobia. Some of it may feel a little over the top in today's time but I would like to think that prejudice is still very much prevalent even in some parts of so called first world countries. The show was released in two seasons with 9 episodes each ranging from 12-15 minutes, so its a pretty easy and decent watch. Let's first understand all the major characters here. Samir and Bastian are best friends, and both are on the school basketball team, together with Bastian’s brother Adam and their classm...

This 8 episode mini-series from South Korea doesn't have too much of a lot to speak of in the first place. With just 8 epodes each of about 12-14 minute each, it still manages to stretch it , bring in love rivals as a source of conflict to bring some drama into the story. Nothing wrong with that, but if the narrative was kept simple and crispier, it would have made for an engaging show to watch. The show was released in two parts of 4 episodes each. Jaemin, a freelance writer, reconnects with an old friend from college Nami, who is also a writer. One night drinking at their apartment, they talk about how Nami used to be popular with girls. Jaemin reveals his admiration and one things leads to another and they share a kiss. When Jaemin meets a friend in a few days, he is told that Nami actually writes for a sex column, which Jaemin doesnt think of much. The duo meet again and even though neither of them has been with another man before, they decide to give it a go at their relations...

This road trip movie is set in 1970 in Canada, when homosexuality although decriminalized, is not widely accepted. The focus of the film is two brothers, , focusing on the sharp contrast between each of their characters. What looks like a drama comedy in the beginning also ends up becoming quite emotional towards the second half of the film. Based on a true story of the director's grandfather and granduncle, this one was an interesting watch. Weldon is a reserved and somewhat grumpy plumber living a quiet life in rural New Brunswick. A few days after his father's funeral (in an opening scene, we are given a hint that he wasn't maybe liked much by his family), one night, he receives a phone call from the police in Toronto. His estranged brother, Perley, has been arrested for having sex with another man in a public park an the cops are willing to let this one slide if a family member picks him up. Due to the demands of his stubborn mother, Weldon drives down to Toronto to bai...

I am so glad that this show was not done after the second season, because as I said in my review, I Was not ready to let go off these characters. I was so happy to see the final season. Yes, this is indeed the final season, but what a finale!! This sucker punch of a show is as heartfelt and as funny as the previous two. From the very beginning, this tale of male bonding and sexual expedition – inspired by the comedian Jack Rooke’s university days – existed in the shadow of grief. And slowly the layers were being peeled about exploration, Grif and mental health and the journey continues with all our beloved characters back in the show.  We are back in the world of best friends Jack and Danny and the other two Corrin and Yemi finishing the friend circle. The first episode starts with Jack's causing Shannon winning a huge sum of money and they all go for a holiday in Greece. With comedy at the fore the episode is definitely funny focussing on evolving relationship of Danny and Corrin ...

This 4 episodic mini-series was really basic BL story with a supernatural twist. Even though the episodes were only 4 and about 22 minutes each, this would still have been better off as a short story. But then I believe the idea was to do some promotional marketing of the sponsors which was very much in your face. This is a mini series from an upcoming tiny studio with very basic production values.  A new tenant Mew moves into a new building, where he feels presence of a ghost (or a spirit, as they like to call themselves). After initial awkwardness, we find that this spirit is of the boy named Meteor, who had committed suicide. He had a major fallout with his 2 friends in the trip group and was in love with the boy, who fell in love with a girl. Meteor has been offered a second chance to life if he convinces Mew to fall in love with him. If Meteor fails, he will get banished to the afterlife. He has thirty days to complete his mission. There's also one strict rule. He cannot leave...

This gay dance drama from Mexico has a very home-made feel to it, but completely lacks in ints execution of the ambition it probably has. Maybe it takes itself too seriously and in the process leaves audiences wondering what the hell and why there'll are things going on the ay they are. A decent attempt, but how I wish that the characters were more fleshed out so we could really get into the psyche behind the actions that eventually the characters end up taking. A love triangle involving professional jealousy could have been much better. Sebastian is befriended by fellow dancer Arsenio at ballet auditions. They initially laugh off their obvious mutual attraction, but soon become a fully loved-up couple, pushing each other as performers and even start living together.  When the new choreographer Mikael arrives, demanding obedience and perfection; he starts to push everyone's boundaries and starts to make changes. He also has a reputation for liking young boys. The attention he p...

This cute little Vietnamese story stays on track and doesn't force itself with random side stories to throw you off track. With just 7 episodes of about 22 to 30 minutes duration, the show was quite an easy to watch series with a nice BL at the central core of it. A simple, heartfelt love story. Show starts with Binh accidentally bumping into Thang and breaking his camera. Binh works in a cafe but wants to be a singer. However he lacks the confidence owing to some burn scars on his neck that he got in his childhood. Thang takes liking for Binh and joins the same cafe. In the same cafe, Binh has a boyfriend Van, who unknown to Binh is also having a secret affair with another guy. When Binh finds out he is heartbroken and somehow he stats warming up to flirtations from Thang, who also raises Binh's confidence to participate in an upcoming singing competition. In parallel, evil Van also harbors making it big as a singer and has been using all these boys as a stepping ladder. When ...

An atmospheric drama that tries to delve into joys of being alive, what could prompt folks to end their own life and is there a way that we can remind people on how precious the life is. Sounds good, isn't it? Sadly the execution of the subject leaves lot to be desired. For a sensitive subject like this, it is important that you connect with the characters and feel empathy, but for me, that did not work in this film. Evan is on his way to a beauty spot in the middle of the night. Suicidal, he intends to kill himself there (since he lost his boyfriend a year ago and cannot get over it), but when his car breaks down on a bridge en route, he is stopped from jumping from it instead by the enigmatic young Léo, who was just passing by. In place of talking him out of it, Leo agrees to drive him to his intended destination. Along the way, romantic tension ensues as the pair reckon with traumas of the past, conflicts of the present and the potential of the future – together or apart. They m...

As much as I loved season 1 of this series, I am so sad to say that the season 2 just did not live up to the expectations. Adam was funny and his shenanigans in the first season made me laugh and smile many times but in this season it all felt forced. The series has 7 episodes of about 20 minutes each continuing for where we left off. The first season explored Adam realizing and acting upon his sexuality and season 2 finds him navigating the challenges, and hurdles, that every gay man goes through. Adam is now in a happy relationship with Gabe and is also working as a freelance photographer. When he finds an old picture of his ex-bf Josh he decides to have one last final meeting with him that stops up feelings for both and Josh ends up kissing Adam, which he deices to not tell Gabe. It doesn’t take long for that secret to come out a the duo decide to break up. Rather than dealing with his issues, Adam throws himself into a series of situations (and at a series of men) without really th...

What the hell did I just see? This one was so damn amateurish that a basic school play put together might be taken more seriously. Right from the script , to fillers, to acting , to direction; almost everything was horrible, except for the basic story idea. The makers had something good on their hands and could have made a poignant love story and show audiences a mirror towards how we perceive immigrants, but OMG! this was atrociously bad. Set in Barcelona, Toni, a trans woman, who works as a hair dresser is looking for love. One day she meets a Moroccan youth 20 year old, trying to hide from the police and she brings him home to help her. She slowly starts to fall in love despite the prying eyes of neighbors who are not very sure of what the arrangement is. Seeing a hot young man, many of her friends and other people at clubs try to hit on the guy but he has eyes for Toni and soon they fall in love. In the midst of this love affair, the days go by: looking for a job, paying the rent, ...

Living with Him is a slice-of-life, slow burn romance that focuses on the palpable, growing tension between the male leads as they grapple with their feelings. There isn’t anything too complex about the plot itself beyond the emotional. But it still feels a little dragged out despite it being only 8 episodes of 23 minutes each. Sure the series is about positive messaging, no OTT drama and a really warm story with very charming leads, but how I wished that either they finished sooner or had more to say, because at various points it did feel out stretched for no reason. Kazuhiro and Ryota are childhood best friends who attended the same elementary school. Over time they sorta lost touch but the families are still close. So when it's time to go to university, their moms come up withe the idea of them sharing a flat together. Kazuhiro had become a popular baseball player but because of an injury had to leave that world. He is also handsome and gets lot of female proposals but he polite...

I wont call this film as a gay film at all but it does fall somewhere in the queer spectrum showcasing the aftermath of bullying young teenager, which could equally be true for any kid, gay or straight. This is based on a true story when in 2012, Andrea Spezzacatene took his own life immediately after his 15th birthday, following a succession of profoundly dehumanising homophobic attacks bot in school and online. The film has no surprises since it starts with Andrea himself revealing in the very first scene that his life ended prematurely. The film focuses on Andrea's life. Known to be a very happy kid always, bespectacled teen is a skilled singer and the best student in his class. HIs parents are going through a separation but he is still ok in the otherwise loving household with his younger brother. Enter the manipulative Christian, a guy in the same class, extremely good looking and for some reason Andrea wants to be friends with him. Christian makes him friend to get help with ...

At the start , this Thai series, based on the character names of our protagonists, seems promising especially since it's a love story between a Thai and a Korean boy. Somewhat new, one would say. But soon, just after a few episodes, you start to feel the amateurish attempt at this. From the dumb jokes to the absurd plots, each episode becomes more aggravating. And then there are random extended sex scenes, which just do not ft in anyway and clearly were added just for the sake of it. Thank god, it was 8 episodes and you could fast forward some of those, With about 50-55 minutes duration of each episode, it is still a significant time investment. In the countryside in Thailand, Dinneaw lives with his mother and together they run a homestay just trying to make ends meet. Dinneaw dreams of becoming a tour guide and travelling the world. One day, a Korean guy Sangmin arrives at the homestay. Turns out he had lived with this family about 10 years ago when he was a kid. He was a lovely k...