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 ...
The basic plot of the film is very simple. A young man Frank, spends his summer days hopelessly searching for companionship at a popular cruising spot on the shores of a lake in rural France. The woods behind the beach is where the gay men involve in sexual encounters. Frank meets Henri, a flabby a guy whose wife has just left him and who sits alone on the beach away from most gay men. Frank also meets Michel, a very attractive yet darkly mysterious man and starts falling blindly in love with him. Although Michel is with someone, he and Frank does end up hooking-up. One evening Frank spots Michel drowning his current partner. Instead of calling the police, he is drawn more and more towards Michel and desperately falls in love with him; even as local police starts an investigation and both Frank and Michel are prime suspects. Henri has an intuitive understanding of what has happened and warns Frank who himself is scared but can't help being madly in love with him. When Henri confronts Michel of knowing what has happened, he goes to the woods signaling Michel to follow him, Frank overcomes with a bad feeling and rushes towards the woods. He finds Henri dying who tells him that he has finally received what he used to come to the beach for. With Henri dead, Franck is terrified and runs off into the woods to hide. Michel is now looking for Frank who is hiding but still his desire to be with Michel is greater than his fear.
The whole look of the film, as I said before is very thrilling. A slow thriller that sets the pace of the daily ritual of these individuals. The way characters move and interact is very very real. The naked male body is celebrated like never before and is treated very casually and with eroticism. Yes, the sex scenes are out there but as an audience we need to understand that yes Frank is driving himself to self-destruction because Michel is all worth it according to him. Sure I did sometimes get uneasy every time we see the similar scene of cards driving and parking, but you feel as if you are present there and are visually witnessing everything that is going on. The performances are beautiful and setting flawless. I can see why this film is being applauded in the film circuits. And at the same time I can also understand moviegoers saying WTF !!! This film needs attention, patience and your complete involvement.
The mystery may be resolved, but the suspense and uncertainty remains even in the end. I thoroughly enjoyed it but don't take my word because for all I know, you may actually hate it. (8.5/10)
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