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 story centers on Noah, a grad student who’s been struggling for years to wrap up his PhD. He’s been with his husband, Dan, for nine years, and they’ve recently gotten married and moved to Palm Springs. While they're trying to figure out how to start a family and have a baby, they decide to shake things up by inviting a third person into their bed and their lives—a charismatic go-go dancer named Adam. Meanwhile, Noah’s sister, Margot, and her wife, Eliza, are going through their own rough patches while trying to get pregnant. They ask Noah to donate his sperm so Eliza can conceive, which she eventually does. The nine episodes actually represent the nine months of her pregnancy. The show spends a lot of time on mental health because Margot has been dealing with bipolar disorder and suicidal thoughts for a long time. Noah has his own problems, specifically with drinking, and both siblings are carrying a ton of childhood trauma that messes with their current relationships. It stands out even more because Dan seems almost perfect, with a great job and his life totally together. To top it off, the siblings' eccentric mother eventually shows up and adds even more chaos to the mix.
The whole point of the show is to capture that feeling of being a "gay mess" in your 30s when you're suddenly forced to figure out where your life is actually going. It’s about the family you choose, the family you're born with, and all the individual baggage you carry. Margot feels like she’s being ignored because of Eliza’s pregnancy and doesn't feel like her wife supports her art enough, and her father’s death just makes things harder. Noah and Dan have a major communication problem, and you have to wonder if bringing Adam in is just a way to hide their issues instead of fixing them. The acting is really top-notch; everyone adds so much emotion to their roles that you end up rooting for them even when they're acting totally out of line. I thought the writing was the best part. Dan’s perspective was really interesting too—as a Black man, he feels like he’s always being judged and has to be perfect, even though his husband is far from it. Honestly, seeing how messy Margot and Noah are, I can’t imagine the stress their partners go through; I don’t think I could handle it myself! Eliza and Dan clearly love them, but things get ugly fast when emotions run high. Adam, the third guy in the relationship, didn't feel quite as fleshed out as the others; he mostly just did whatever the plot needed to move Noah and Dan’s story forward, eventually acting like a therapist to help them get back on track.
I’m honestly shocked that more people aren't talking about this show. It’s a fast, emotionally heavy, and darkly funny series where the writing really carries the day. (7/10)
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