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...
James, open about his sexuality, lives with his overbearing mother, who he believes drove his father away. Jess on the other hand, is a confused young man, who keeps changing girlfriends, even getting one pregnant. The 2 boys meet for a hook-up initially but clearly James gets strong feelings for Jess. Jess, who is really fed up of his life with controlling parents and a nagging girlfriend, agrees to go on a weekend road-trip suggested by James. This road-trip becomes a journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance in case of Jess. The road trip focuses on their interactions with each other, how they get to know each other and what they decide to do with each other. The most important aspect of the trip is their chance meeting with another guy Tomas. Tomas brings more fun and energy and passion in the two men and they also having one of the most passionate threesome. They invite him to come along, but Tomas chooses to stay with his father in the small town. One of the reasons to go on this road-trip was to also for Jess to meet his estranged brother who left the family longtime back when he eloped with the nanny. Jess burns the bridges and the brothers are reunited and Jess finally comes out to his brother and acknowledges James as his partner. The duo meet Tomas again and embark on another trip of their life.
I don’t know if it was just me or others felt the same but the 2 guys looked so much alike. I found myself getting confused so many times during the movie remembering which is Jess and which is James. If not for the torn jeans and the beads that James wore all the time, it would have been really hard for me to differentiate. The chemistry between the two guys is impeccable and there are some steamy sex scenes. As mentioned before, the whole chapter when Tomas joins them is beautifully handled. Clearly both the guy like him, but at the same time they also have to question their commitment for each other. The three guys have fun in town, hang out as best buddies. I was just enjoying watching the trio chemistry. It was brilliant and yes the threesome scene was tasteful, artistic and very well done. Another scene that really stood out for me was when Tomas teaches them both dancing steps. Its Tomas, that makes them realise each other’s importance. You believe the two characters have fallen for each other and you care about where they end up, right from the time we see them hook-up. On the flip side, there is some serious issue with the background music of the film. It was techno, very loud and just did not fit into this kind of film. I normally don’t even notice such things but this was too much in your face. I would definitely recommend redoing background music.
Anyway, just a small point but doesn’t take away from the fact that this was indeed a very interesting film. Its not great but definitely much better than a lot of crap I have been seeing lately. (6/10)
Comments
Yes, the boys look very much alike : it is because ,IMHO , they are a "couple " ,and young and - as You wrote -there is chemistry between the two actors.