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...
We meet roommates Isabella, a student, Pedro, a sex worker and Jonata, Pedro’s HIV-positive nephew. Its just around the pandemic's fourth wave, the film moves into the three of them traversing through the city making astute contemplations about the society they live and what the future holds for them, in a Sao Paolo that is bled dry by a memory-easing virus and rampant capitalism. There is no story as such because what we see is the three folks meetings clients of Pedro and other random, terrible equals eccentric, natives in that city leading to some tragic yet funny situations. It's a film that feels more with a lose structure meant to encompass a mood than anything else.
The film falls in the category of what I call parallel and art house cinema, The characters are floating through this strange world that looks like our world but clearly isn't. It's the disorientation of normalcy. The film presents us with a trio of protagonists who are not entirely sure of who they are yet, and are searching for their identities through trial and error, simply venturing out into the world and discovering what works best by interacting with those around them. This makes the more serious conversations embedded in the film even more poignant, since the journey to get to that particular point has been so complex, layered with meaning that can only be drawn from an engaging and insightful understanding of issues surrounding identity within the LGBTQIA+ community, which serves as the foundation for this enthralling film. The intersections between the internal journeys of these characters and broader subjects relating to the queer community, whether it be institutionalized homophobia or the HIV/AIDS crisis, add to the deeply melancholic sensations. This film is definitely not meant for everyone. Personally, there were parts that I enjoyed and others where I couldn't wait for them to end. This one is going to be a very personal choice. I would rate this one strictly average from a general audience point of view. (4/10)
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