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 ...
Layla is introduced living in London with their community of queer friends, performing drag and attending parties together. They have amazing rapport with each other. In one such parties, Layla meets Max, A conventional very straight looking marketing executive Max. They immediately have sex, but it’s clear from their chemistry that this is more than a one-night stand, and they cautiously begin dating, where each person, in their own way is trying to woo the other one. Layla cannot believe they have found love. But as the relationship deepens, Layla and Max find it hard to fit into each other’s worlds. Layla, back home is Latif, in a traditional muslim family and looks for every opportunity to not spend time with family and snubbing the sister as well who tries to reach out on more than one occasion. Similarly, Max wants to be an artist. So, while Max is fascinated by the 24/7 excitement of spending time with Layla, he prefers a little less drama in a potential long-term relationship. But he has absolutely no issues in being seen with Layla. But here is tension between them for sure, and it. Takes a while to understand what the issue really is. Layla doesn't want to change who they really are and they start to feel different and they dont want to be how much ever Max also tries to understand their world and fit it. Eventually they call it off, breaking Max's heart because they would rather be true to themself. In final scene we also see Layla revealing true identity to their sister who very warmly welcomes them.
Honestly, drag is a world that I don't and probably never will trull understand with the depth and empathy but I have seen enough cinema to get a picture. Some viewers, including myself, struggled with that tension that Max and Layla have, since Max seems quite a catch, handsome and supportive of all Layla’s iterations, even taking a lubricated high heel quite literally in his stride. Layla, however, wants to be seen in their in-between state, which, admittedly, is quite an ask for anyone, and even Max is ok with it. The film’s big crisis scene involves Layla putting on a plaid shirt to meet Max’s father for a family dinner at Max’s place and “feeling like I’m at a funeral for myself.” But, too be fair to Max, he says that he has never asked Layla to be or do anything. It is Layla, who feels the change is happening, to the extent that they never even told Max that they prefer "they/them" pronoun. Where the courtship and more nuanced differences between the two have a real vibrant authenticity, the more overt conflicts feel more artificial and manufactured, though the honesty of the performances of the two actors still comes through. On a brighter side, actors playing Layla and Max have their amazing chemistry. The infectious joy of their burgeoning relationship is terrific, driven through sweetly crafted conversations and beautifully filmed scenes of intimacy and sometimes awkwardness and humour. The film also delves into how Layla and Max both struggle to open up about their queer identities to their families in different ways and how I wish that the film spent a little more time on that aspect as well.
Despite its slight issues, the film is very charming and endearing and keeps your focus. The compassion the film has for its characters is beautiful. And though it takes a sometimes rocky road to reach there, there’s a real maturity to its eventual summations on embracing queer identity as we watch Layla and Max undergo their respective journeys. (7.5/10)
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