Movie Reviews -
Gay Themed

At the start , this Thai series, based on the character names of our protagonists, seems promising especially since it's a love story between a Thai and a Korean boy. Somewhat new, one would say. But soon, just after a few episodes, you start to feel the amateurish attempt at this. From the dumb jokes to the absurd plots, each episode becomes more aggravating. And then there are random extended sex scenes, which just do not ft in anyway and clearly were added just for the sake of it. Thank god, it was 8 episodes and you could fast forward some of those, With about 50-55 minutes duration of each episode, it is still a significant time investment. In the countryside in Thailand, Dinneaw lives with his mother and together they run a homestay just trying to make ends meet. Dinneaw dreams of becoming a tour guide and travelling the world. One day, a Korean guy Sangmin arrives at the homestay. Turns out he had lived with this family about 10 years ago when he was a kid. He was a lovely k...

A very interesting Jewish coming of age film, that I was not expecting. In fact, I knew nothing about what this film is and I was pleasantly surprised how delicately the subject of coming out of a young modern Orthodox Jewish has been handled. The film also touches on what happens when the memory of a beloved elder, now deceased, is tarnished and betrayed. You can count on your hand on how few films are made on coming-of-age gay stories within strict religious communities. It’s a difficult topic, such young, vulnerable people dealing with discovering their identity and how it could destroy their relationship with their family. Noam, a young orthodox jewish teenage enjoyed a very close bond with his grandfather and was often told how he and his 'opa' are very much alike. After the shiva when Noam and his mother are clearing out his things, Noam discovers a small keepsake box housing a picture of his grandfather, Heinrich, sitting closely alongside another man,  before the war. ...

Escaping the Fragile Planet (Greece) A few hours before the world ends, two men have an unexpected encounter, while a strange pink fog is spreading throughout the city. Their romantic affair will only last for a day. But in a broken world filled with fear, sharing a few intimate moments seems to be enough for them to feel safe, against the upcoming end. Do People Think We're Gay? (USA) Just about a 5 min short film, it shows 2 apparently heterosexual guys who live together and sleep in the same bed going about their day doing random things on a day together like shopping, eating and wondering if people around them think they are gay. The surprise ending does bring a smile to your face in a funny yet relatable sort of way. Lipstick (India) This Malayalam film from 2014 is a candid portrayal of the life of a youth who has sexually been used by his childhood friend since he was a little boy. Since then he has been addicted to his pal and to what he learned from him on that day.  The f...

This Japanese BL series about two men stuck in their individual unfulfilling physical relationships, where there is love but no sex. How these two men eventually meet each other, possibly fill void in each other's life makes the base of the story. Sadly, towards the last few episodes it felt like the makers were very confused on how they want to end the show. The finale lacks excitement and something that started well falls to a bad ending. The show has 7 episodes each of about 24 minutes. Kazuaki lives with his longterm girlfriend, buttoner a time the girlfriend has completely lost interest in sex. While they still get along, she always turns down his sexual advances. Kazuaki grows increasingly frustrated and feels unfulfilled in their relationship. One night he accidentally sends an email to a wrong id thinking of it as a restaurant. Realizing his mistake, he sends an apology email to the receiver. Nakarai replies back, telling him not to worry. They continue exchanging short mes...

Jack and Joker is a show that tries something very new. This comedy action drama follows two men in an enemies-to-lovers romance, in a very fun, entertaining mix of romance, adventure, and emotional drama. A Thai BL series about a legendary thief and an innocent man who gets caught in the chaos of his schemes.As much I appreciate the makers trying something new, this was a big commitment to watch. There are 12 episodes of about 75 to 90 minutes each plus an almost 2 hour follow up episode called 'U Steal My Heart'. You can imagine, this is almost like 18-20 hours of content. Maybe if you watched the show weekly, you could enjoy it; but I think the mistake that I did was trying to binge watch over a few days and honestly, that was too much to handle. We meet the two leads Joke(r) is from an affluent medical family but Joker enjoys heists and robbery. When his family finds out, he is thrown out of house. On the other hand Jack is from a humble home who lives with his grandmother ...

Why don't we make more such films? Sweet and earnest, this is the kind of film that’s easy to wrap your arms around because it understands that coming of age is inherently traumatic. Sometimes you don't need plot twists or bog dramatic reveals. This film about a 14-year-old kid who falls for the boy next door, causing him to question his sexuality and somewhat rebel against his parents treasures in fragile thoughts and feelings, mostly internalized, and also shows a sense of hope that you feel like a comfy blanket thanks to people around you and your family. We all could use some positive reinforcement about love in our lives and this film does exactly that. Elias, a young 14 year old lives in a small countryside village. His family is mostly a prototypical household: his older brother is dating, his caring mother supports her father's musical profession and a very empathetic grandfather who works in a farm and with whom Elias likes to spend time. Elias sorta has a girlfrie...

Hulu's new sitcom with 10 episodes is made by the creators of 'Will & Grace', so naturally I had to see the show asap and I did manage to watch it in one sitting having heard some excellent reviews. Set in Palm Springs, the series follows three gay male best friends of a certain age who find themselves living together following an unexpected death. While co-habitating, the trio navigates aging, grief, love, long-held secrets and everything in between. Though the show does lean into several stereotypes of the LGBTQ+ community, it’s all done in good humor and with a bit of flair. Interestingly, I somehow thought the show was just ok and maybe only two or three times I did laugh out loud, but other than that it felt mostly like sitting, watching a sitcom and thats that. Either t was my mental state or whatever else, I didnt find the show 'very funny' at all. Maybe more on that later. The show starts with Bunny, Arthur and Jerry reuniting at a friends funeral who wa...

A gay man, his lover, and a diverse band of friends learn to strike a balance between old-world and new-generation values in post-war Lebanon. This film that came out back in 2011 bills itself as the first gay film to come out of Lebanon.  I have no ways to validate the claim, but in my opinion, calling it a gay film might be a little stretch, but two of the main six characters are a gay couple and yes the story does involve a lot around their struggle in the society. Fun fact: The filming of this Lebanese gay-themed film was opposed vigorously by members of the conservative community in which it was shot, with threats and acts of violence a constant occurrence. The film was completed only because of the intervention of military authorities, and post-production had to be done in the United States. We meet 4 friends hanging out. Jason, still traumatized by the loss of both of his parents in a car bombing; Louis , devastated over his recent breakup with his girlfriend; the guitar-str...

This show was an absolute pleasant surprise. It combined some of my favorite genres like legal cases, with just the right amount of flintiness, goofiness and romance. The lead actors complement each other so well and one the leads is extremely gorgeous and handsome. Their love story begins with lots of playful mischief and sexual tension. It turns into a sweet romance with many lovey-dovey moments, so you'll laugh or swoon at the couple's entertaining relationship scenes. With 12 episodes each of about 20 minutes each, this was definitely worth the time spent. Shiba is a top lawyer working in a company and soon became the youngest partner in the firm with his unwavering dedication to work. But he is known to be arrogant and so work focused that none of his assistants has ever stayed with him and he has already lost 99 such folks. Shiba's boss respects his employee's talent. However, he grows frustrated by Shiba's inability to work well with others. His best friend i...

OMG! I had no idea what this film was all about but I really really liked this film. Exploring the twisty, aching complexities of the men’s relationship and the demimonde they inhabit, this gritty yet very tender Brazilian drama focusing on survival of a gay teenager in the streets of São Paulo deserves a lot of accolades and merit. This mature story of queer love, friendship and more between an 18-year-old man and his 42-year-old father-figure-cum-lover really deserves to be seen by one and all.  After spending two years in a juvenile detention centre, Wellington, just turning 18 returns home only to find out that his alcoholic policeman father has left the city with this mother. With no place to go while searching for his mother, he is hanging out with his queer friends in an adult cinema where he meets 42 year old escort Ronaldo, who takes a liking to the younger man both personally and professionally. Acting in both a parental role and as a lover, he takes Wellington under his ...

Checkered Shirt is a charming Korean mini series that beautifully captures the innocence and complexities of young love. The 8 episodes are short of about 8-10 minutes each, making it easy to binge-watch. Sadly, the ending of the show is very abrupt leaving many open threads. Either the show runners ran out of budget or there must have been some other story, because even if there is supposed to be a follow up season, this is not how you would end a season one of a show if you want to attract audience. The story is pretty simple and basic. Jeong U and his friend often hang out at a bar. They are both supposed to go to military soon, but Jeong U is still a virgin and wants a girlfriend. One day he buys a checkered short online from another. Guy, who happens to be also the waiter at the bar they hang out. His name is Han. An expected friendship son develops between the two. One drunken night, Jeoung U ends up drinking and staying over at Han's place where they end up kissing since Jeo...

This Brazilian murder-mystery thriller has a good story at hand and to an extent they have tried to do justice to it. But having said that the film's production is very independent-like and some of the acting leaves a lot to be desired. More on that later. It's great that we are trying to tell different stories around gay themes but unless we give a proper attention to the execution, these films will never make an impression like they should. The film starts with Victor bringing in Renan to a secluded cabin in the mountains and they son hear about the murder of the senator Arthur a turns out that Victor was the last person to meet him. The cops soon arrive and they both ar taken for questioning, Through flashback we hear the story of what transpired. Senator Arthur is leading a double life of a happily married man but is also enjoying an illicit affair with a young boy Renan, to whom he has given an apartment ad all luxuries as his keep. Through a common friend Renan meets a jo...

For a short one-hour film, Yes, No, or Maybe tells a cute, compelling love story at a comfortable pace. This anime deals with the theme of duality, exploring the discrepancies between perception and behavior. I liked the fact that the story stays focused on what it wants to say and wraps up ion less than an hour, without over dramatizing stuff. Luckily, when you use anime as medium, you can play around with a lot of things, but thankfully the makers here stayed true to their vision and focus.  Kei is a TV presenter who maintains a poised persona in public, even though his real personality is petty and belligerent. He is very good at hiding his inner thoughts because he needs to keep s a certain celebrity persona always around him for the sake of his job. One day, Kei meets animation artist Tsuzuki Ushio for a work assignment. As expected he keeps a pleasant demeanor around Ushio, making a good impression on the artist with his friendliness towards his crew members. A few days after...

I did not realize that this series was actually an anthology series with five short love stories. As you could expect with every anthology, some stories tug your heart while others leave you wanting for more and this show was no different. Consisting of total of 8 episodes of about 50 minutes each, the first two stories are one episode each and then the other three love stories are spread across two different episodes.  Episode 1 (Sun & Dol) - Sun is a cheerful delivery courier recovering from a recent breakup. Dol is a serious office worker who often orders food from him. Both men are colourblind, but their condition can be cured if they meet their destined partner on a rainy day. After crossing paths, Sun and Dol discover they are each other's soulmates. However, Dol is a logical thinker who doesn't believe in destiny. Even so, Sun tries to convince the skeptical Dol to give their relationship a chance.  This series was a straight forward story, without any fluff and I ...

I am really not sure what was this film trying to say! A film which is set more like a theatre/play sort of an environment had a few subplots going on and none of them come to a logical conclusion. Maybe the film, through its various characters, is supposed to examine distance and closeness in relationships, but the way it does is so uninspiring and boring. I mean, maybe it wasn't a bad film, but it was just plain boring. The primary characters are Boris and Jonathan, a gay couple who have been together for a few years. But their relationship has reached a point where they might as well spend their evenings together separately: One lies in bed reading, the other works at a desk in the next room. Boris is an actor who begins to confuse work and reality and Jonathan is a writer challenged to face his various fears, mainly of death. Boris is rehearsing for a film where he is supposedly cheating on his wife with a younger man, played by an actor Tim. Because of the strained relationshi...

Riley is a film about self-acceptance, belonging, societal labels and identity. The hardest part of coming out is always first coming out to yourself. Choosing between the life you want and the one that society constructed for you is never easy, so you can only imagine when we have an over straight football player, from whom everyone has expectations, how wil his life start to crumble under the weight of his own queer identity. The film is a raw and powerful attempt at untangling the knots of stereotypes and fear within society. Our protagonist is Dakota Riley, a rising football player on this journey, dealing with the consequences of denying himself of who he really is. His girlfriend Skylar wants to have sex, but he’s resisting because deep down she doesn't excite him. He knows he is attracted to men. His best friend Jaeden , who is temporarily living with him after his mother kicked him out (for reasons unknown to us), seems to be sending out flirty vibes. They seem to be doing ...