This is your typical indie coming-of-age tale about a teenager, though it’s clearly working with a very tiny budget. Set within a migrant family living in Southern California’s Coachella Valley, the movie digs into how fragile old-school traditions and expectations can be. We follow a teenage son as he goes through the process of coming out and struggles to find acceptance while dealing with homophobia, domestic abuse, and a messy love triangle that involves his own sister. Goyo is seventeen and just about to graduate from high school. Since he’s been a bit more feminine since he was a little kid, he’s always had to deal with emotional and physical transition from his dad, Ramon, who is obsessed with him being "a man." The only real love he gets is from a lady next door who actually respects him for who he is. The family lives in a Mexican community where everyone works on a grape farm, but things get shaken up when a new guy named Lucio arrives. Lucio basically seduces Goyo ...
James is an upcoming director who gets hired to direct a new BL show starring Ait and Bas. Tee, an older guy runs the production company, who is a very unfriendly person and very strict rules on how the new BL couple should behave. His company was recently in news when the lead actor quit. During their introductions, James is surprised to learn that Ait has been forced to get a nosejob, while Bas is on a restrictive diet to maintain his physique. Ait develops a huge crush for James, who eventually reciprocates the feeling, despite repeated warnings form the producer. We also meet Marco, James' best friend who clearly also loves him. Meawhile Bas is getting unpredictable and one day he finally confides into Ait, how he had been sexually abused by Tee, the boss. The previous actor also comes out with allegations against the producer Tee. The show's last episode is all about Marco spending time with a very devastated and broken Bas trying to cheer him up and eventually leaving him at his brother's place. Clearly season 2 is in order.
As I have said before, for some odd reason the series wastes80% of its time in a love story that is not even appealing at any level. Ait's crush on James just happens randomly and even from James' reciprocation. It is totally unbelievable. We have seen this stuff so often in so many places, I wonder why the makers did not think about bringing Bas' story sooner. The series would have benefitted from a more focussed approach rather than a very incoherent screenplay and a wobbly packing. Ait and James have no chemistry. The last episode brings more focus on two interesting characters of Marco and bas but just when it starts getting a little interesting, it just ends. I understand the makers idea of keeping the audience engaged and wanting a second season but I really wonder when the first season is so underwhelming, can I expect anything better from the sequel? (3/10)
Comments
I wanted to shake James who would take forever to answer everytime, that was horrible. And can we talk about those car scenes omg.
Thankfully, season 2 is a lot better imho. It's still flawed, but more Bas/Marco and less James/Ait is enough to make it worth it if you've already been through season 1.
And yes, th horrible car scenes. OMG!! It was like they were gonna run over by those really bad CGI traffic. lol