Is this technically a gay show? Even after getting through the whole thing, that's still kind of tricky to answer. There's never any physical intimacy shown between the two leads, not even a single kiss. What it gives you instead is something that goes way deeper than that. It traces an emotional bond that spans a full decade between two guys who are both dealing with their own baggage, and what they share basically amounts to being soulmates. The story moves across Japan, South Korea, and Berlin. Honestly, whether people want to call what they have a romantic relationship or not doesn't really matter to me. A relationship doesn't need a label like boyfriends attached to it to actually mean something. And closeness doesn't need to be physical to feel genuine. What this show captures is something quieter but way more powerful, a bond rooted in understanding, respect, and just showing up for each other. Across eight episodes, each running 35 to 45 minutes, this is one...
The film is about three guys: Len, Meat and Phil. Len is the champion of a NSW surf life saving club and finds his position threatened by the club’s new golden boy Phil. Phil is younger, more handsome and gay. Phil being gay is an issue for Len, which we later find out does not come from ignorance, but rather his own repressed gay desires caused by an abusive father and the relentless machismo of his social circle. On the night of celebration of Phil’s win Len manipulates Meat (who for some reason does everything that Len wants him to do) into stripping an almost unconscious Phil of his clothes, burying him in sand up to his neck, and forcing him to sit back and watch the tide come in and drown Phil. Fortunately Meat succumbs to his instincts and rescues Phil before the waves take his life. Len, however, purposely swims too far into the ocean, ultimately drowning himself.
As mentioned before, the story unfolds in bits and pieces. At some point you feel the bis are getting along well together while at the other instant, it seems they are not. There are a lot of scenes involving bar shopping and straight-ish male bonding. I am not really sure if actually Australian beach culture (especially life guards) are as homophobic as its shown in the film but none the less the film makes for a thrilling watch. The men are pretty good looking and can also act well. The one big down side of the film for me was the non-linear story telling approach , which takes a while to put pieces together. The three-way balance of this relationship is the film’s most interesting element. Len and Meat’s relationship for example seems to be the only one in the entire film born of an actual friendship and loyalty. I am not sure of the voyeuristic approach to a twisted act of sadism and humiliation was necessary but I guess this is what shows an example of human psyche.
The film could have been lot more powerful but at the end it just ends up being an average satisfying thrill movie experience. (5/10)
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