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 ...
Mason and Mitchel are twin teenage brothers. Mitchel recently passed away the their younger sister Molly wants to do a memorial wake after a few months of his passing. The elder sister also comes to town and there is a surprise visitor Jameson, who was invited by Mason. Through multiple flashbacks we are told that Mitchel was gay, Jameson was his boyfriend and that Mitchel was going through some sort of depression. Its not made clear whether it was due to his sexuality or there were other reasons too. The majority of the family is in the dark about Mitchel’s life, and Mason is left to deal with the guilt and trauma of losing his brother. Slowly secrets come out during the ceremony, where the elder sister tells the family that Mitchel's death was not accidental overdose but was possibly suicide. All these issues are handled and talked in a very realistic way.
The heart of the film is in the right place. A small indie film like this can absolutely be polished at many places, but despite its shortcomings, I was thoroughly engrossed in the film and a lot has o do with some excellent cast and acting. The actor playing twin brothers is just amazing. He is gorgeous and acts as two brothers amazingly well. You can feel the pain. As Mason, he is full of guilt, blaming himself for his brother’s death, and his rage and helplessness push the family to the breaking point. And same goes for Jameson as the estranged boyfriend who is also struggling with what has hit him. His silence spoke so much of his pain, especially since pretty much noon in the family was even aware of his existence, forget knowing that Mitchel was gay and had a boyfriend. His quiet strength brings a calm to the sadness. The younger sister is a bot dramatic and that could have been toned down a bit and remaining cast was ok. You do see the family which is overall pretty conservative and religious and growing up gay in that environment was probably not the easiest for Mitchel. There is a lot of talking, as you can imagine, but the film continues to focus on what its meant to. It tells a story of a family coping with the loss of their brother, their son, and their grandson. There are honest moments where chills happen. It’s wonderful storytelling and impactful LGBTQ representation.
I would highly recommend this film despite its shortcomings. Watch it for an important topic and for the wonderful acting by its lead actor who keeps the film shining. I am all for indie films with a purpose like this one anyway over some other random crap that we see in the name of cinema. The makers shines a light on the ways conflicts could be healed, through tolerance and understanding, both in the family and the culture. (7.5/10)
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