A Revry original, Unconventional is a really well-liked queer dramedy that feels totally different from the usual stuff. The heart of the story is about two pretty eccentric queer siblings and their partners trying to build a family that doesn't follow the traditional rules. It takes a super raw and unfiltered look at queer life, diving deep into things like mental health, addiction, and how complicated identity and relationships can get. It’s not afraid to get messy or show people at their most vulnerable, and it really pushes boundaries while showing a lot of different queer experiences. The first season has nine episodes, and each one is about a half-hour long. 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 in...
University student Ryo is having a relationship with his classmate Natsuo. To begin with its only physical, but soon when Natsuo moves in with Rio, they have a good connection and almost love situation going on. We also meet Ryo's father Shinya, who one day shows up unannounced. Ryo doesn't have a very good relationship with him and considers him a womanizer. Shinya is a singer/song writer. Through flashback, we are told that in his younger days, Shinya had a love affair with another man who also helped him writhe lyrics of his favorite song and they had a good thing going until one day Shinya's sister suddenly shows up and catches them. The lover eventually meets with an accident. Natsuo resembles to Shinya's love and he is quite shocked to see him. We are not sure if this is reincarnation but we see that Natsuo suddenly feels an odd connection with Shinya and helps him compose music. He also tell Shinya that Ryo and he are lovers and he accepts them with all his love. Ryo is finally able to connect with his father before he eventually passes away.
As I mentioned, the subject was good and the actors did a decent job, but how I wish this was not made as a pink movie. Those explicit sexual scenes were just not needed. It also doesn't help when the passionate expressions of these boys almost feel like they are in pain or something. It is almost embarrassing to watch. Maybe it works for Japanese folks. But it did not for me. Even the actors looked a little uncomfortable and were not very trained (not that you need much of acting here). With extremely low production value and tight budget, this film was likely made quick and for quick money. If you get your hands on complete non-erotic version of the film, maybe this could be. Good short film. Otherwise avoid it. (2/10)
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