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...
After waking from a nightmare, the late Titi’s grandma is told by a spiritual advisor that her son has unfinished business, which is likely getting married to a man. She’s instructed to leave a red envelope that fate will deliver to the right groom. Enter Menn, a hapless police informant whose love life is even more tragic than his career. He stumbles upon the envelope and is almost forced in to the marriage. On their wedding night, Menn is stunned to find himself permanently accompanied by Titi’s ghost. What follows is a chaotic, comic partnership as the two try to uncover the truth behind Titi’s death, leading them into the orbit of a suspected drug lord. The duo help each other out. Titi wants to resolve issue with his ex-boyfriend only to find out that he was likely playing with his feelings and is actually straight. Together, they also try to figure out how did Titi actually die in a car accident and who was responsible, which turns out has links with the drug lord. Titi also has some unfinished loveliest with his father and needs him to forgive each other. The film follows how the two help catch the drug lord and resolve all Titi's issues so that he gets salvation. In the process Menn becomes a changed person.
The Red Envelope is patently ridiculous, comically overblown and absurdly camp. This film works largely because of the undying chemistry between the two leads. The rapport between them is palpable as Menn's prejudice gives way to care and he becomes accustomed to the presence of a ghost in his apartment, while Titi discovers things about his life that shatter his understanding of himself and his loved ones. Even the rest of the cast does a good job. While some of it got just a bit campy, it never lost its focus of telling a human drama. And the human drama was one of pain and hurt from the closest ones to us. If you are also expecting the story to be a BL, you are also going to be somewhat disappointed. It is not. Yet, it is a gay mythos that will, by the end, cause you to laugh, force you to think about death, and possibly make you cry. The story also does well to portray sexism and casual misogyny within the police department faced by the female police officer, who is one of the central characters. Less a rom-com and more a buddy cop bromance between the unlikeliest of partners, The Red Envelope tugs on the heartstrings. (6/10)
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