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 ...
Jamie and Lemmy meet at school and become fast friends after a rather weird gay bashing teenage incident. They both are rather effeminate, yet neither self identifies as gay yet. They are rather rebellious, often cutting class to go on adventures. Their families find their friendship odd but they really cant do much about it. They are both drawn to homosexuality but then they both always make lewd and horrible comments about gays and how they should not be here and all that. In fact they even go to public restrooms to create troubles. They fight it to the point of doing some horribly obnoxious things to those they suspect are gay. However, when they start examining their own desires, what they find is most disconcerting, and their struggle becomes one of self acceptance.
Although the film is about self discovery of the teenage gays, I am not sure was it really necessary to make the characters so darn annoying and obnoxious. It prevents to empathize with them as an audience and when they actually accept they are gay, you don't really feel much for them. Sure the argument could be that rather than internalizing their demons and struggles, they took it out on others but it doesn't justify IMO. The acting is okay. Both boys turn in believable performances, and do a decent job with the material they are given. The ending of the film, where both boys admit to being "one of them" is sudden but done well. I mean its not clear what made one of them finally admit to being gay.
Its not the worst thing in the world but nothing great to write home about. Watch this if you really have nothing else to do and are really looking for something quick and easy no brainer short-ish film. (3.5/10)
Comments
Dare Project is good.