Coming out of the same studio that gave us RuPaul's Drag Race, and stacked with a whole crew of former contestants, Stop! That! Train! plays like RuPaul basically taking a bow for the entire franchise she's built. It's not really a gay film in the traditional sense, but with so many drag stars from Ru's shows popping up alongside a few cameos from well known out gay actors, I figured it earns a spot on this blog anyway. The whole thing is completely over the top, packed with GenZ slang, loud flashy visuals, and humor that's constantly winking at you knowing how ridiculous it is. Going in you'd assume it's meant to be a laugh riot, and a lot of critics online seem to be eating it up, but I just couldn't get into it at all. I've never really been someone who vibes with campy silly stuff like this, so honestly my reaction doesn't surprise me one bit. The setup follows Tess and DeeDee, two low level stewardesses who sneak onto the fancy Glamazonian E...
The film is about a wealthy family’s gathering over a labour day weekend at their beautiful stone home on Lake Tahoe. Mom and Dad have decided to sell their home but have nettled anyone. Painstakingly, the mother has prepared and panned for entire weekend and wants to make it special. They have 2 sons. One of the sons, Theo, has just been fired from his job with a financial firm over an expensive clerical error. He is in a bad mood. His girlfriend keeps looking for approval from the mother. Roger, the second son is gay and works in the film industry, has brought a boyfriend/date with whom he is forming an attachment that doesn't quite feel like a relationship. He is simply embarrassed by his mother's shallow, acquisitive behavior. Roger also has some other friends who have come over. We witness the family dysfunctions over the course of three day weekend. Things happen including their home help getting hurt, Theo flirting with Roger’s guest friend and everyone else keeping their secrets. By the time film ends, neither the kids share their secrets with parents nor the mother tells either of son that she's planning to sell their beloved summer home. Weekend ends, Kids go back their way and its time for husband-wife to be alone once again.
I ams till struggling to figure out, what was the central aim behind the film. Was it to how a gap gets created between parents and kids, once they grow up. Or is it lack of communication? Or is it about family secrets? Is it about a eccentric mother? What is it? There are scenes which talk about the mother being very nit-picky about spending money but then in one scene we see her just throwing money over buying baskets. She complains about not getting enough time with her sons, but at the same time, she spends all her time withe in kitchen and later at hospital. The relationship between Theo and his boyfriend is not clear. If it was supposed to be only one night stand, why are they together? There is absolutely no chemistry between the couple. What was the point of adding Theo’s friend and her boyfriend. If they were removed from the film, absolutely nothing would have mattered. Scenes like this and some others kept me wondering why was the film made? It feels like just a slice of life film. Thankfully, acting by the mother is the backbone of the film. Rest everyone is pretty ordinary. Neither good or bad. By the time the film is finished, your impression is very neutral.
There is nothing worth remembering about the film but at the same time, thankfully it doesn’t bore you either. A strictly average film. (5/10)
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