This is the second vertical AI BL drama I've sat through, and honestly I went in knowing better. I had it on while I was doing cardio at the gym, and what struck me was just how much the plot echoed the last one I watched. Same step brother romance angle, same mystery girlfriend showing up near the end, same extra guy pining after one of the leads. Genuinely the only thing going for it was the runtime, the whole thing wrapped up in forty five minutes flat. The setup kicks off with Finn moving schools because his mom just married into money. He finds out his new step brother Aiden goes to the same place, and he's warned to keep his distance from him. Their first run in at school is rocky, just like you'd expect, but there's this odd pull between them neither can shake off. Finn keeps telling himself not to read into it because Aiden's straight and openly homophobic. Things shift when some kids start bullying Finn and the student council president, Ryan, steps in to ...
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The play follows story of 4 childhood friends set in Texas. Each one of them struggles with his sexuality in a varying way. Mark, who also serves as narrator, questions the Baptist church that preaches love and forgiveness while decrying homosexuality; Benny fully embraces his gayness, growing up to become a flamboyant drag queen entertainer; TJ (Mark's first love) desperately tries to deny who he is, eventually getting married to a woman; and Andrew, the most troubled of the group, wrestles with the conflicting demands of his faith and his sexuality with ultimately tragic results. In addition to these we have an older gay man Peanut and his best friend, an alcoholic Odette, who humorously discuss their lives and comment on the proceedings during numerous sessions at a gay bar. We see how the boys interact, trying to teach each other a thing or two, help each other, support each other; we also see families reactions and how ultimately it affects all their lives.
It i snot easy to sit through this long movie/play, specially when there are a lot of monologues that keep coming one after the other. But its the humour by the old friends in a gay bar that keeps the goings alive. We do get to witness the pain, anguish and sufferings by the boys and what they all are going through. It is a good mix of pain and humour. Sometimes the pain comes abruptly in the midst of the comedy, but it is the real pain known all too well by young queers trying desperately to understand who they are and what other people think of them. The message of Sissies is one of hope and healing for those who grew up in the church. An unflinching portrayal of the kind of damage the church continues to do even more strongly today. The performances by all actors is incredible and praise worthy and kudos to the makers for bringing out something so important to a wider audience.
The format of the play will unfortunately find a very niche audience for the film but sensitive performances and an important subject warrant a viewing. (6/10)
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