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 starts with Aleksandr doing his sessions with his therapist and we keep going into flashbacks. He had moved to NY with his mother and sister in search of their father. His father had long abandoned them for his boyfriend. But after his mother's suicide, he manages to find a job as a "dancer". he meets a wealthy man Keith and goes with him to his hotel because he is longing for company and love but is shocked when Keith offers him money for sex. when the scenario is repeated a couple of times, he takes up being prostitute to make money but also searching for friendship and love. Aleksandr eventually meets a much older man Tom who is interested in him, but Alexandr is not interested. The films goes on and on on how he eventually gets into drugs and more sex and how his life is spiraling out of control. It's only when he meets a much older man and has sex with him, who turns out to be his father is when he sees the reality for what it is.
Alexandr also happens to be the director of the film, so you can only imagine that his presence is there pretty much in every scene of the film. To be fair to him, does a credible job of portraying the vulnerable desperation of a young man left on his own in a place where being alone is a dangerous place to be, minus the accent. But, its hard to sympathize with a grown up man, who keeps making one bad decision after another and then blames everyone around him for all the wrong happening with him. Talking of acting, lets talk about the therapist. Worst acting ever. So plastic, no compassion for the patient and the oddest dialogues ever given to her. Big thumbs down. Alexandr looks good and acts decent but is let down by a bad repetitive script and poor direction. Its really hard to empathize and feel for the main guy and his miseries.
Below average is how I would rate this film. There is a lot of better stuff out there. (4/10)
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