Gaycation is a mix of a travel show and a deep-dive documentary that feels incredibly personal. It follows Elliot Page and best friend Ian Daniel as they head out to explore what life is actually like for LGBTQ+ people in different corners of the globe. Instead of just hitting the tourist spots, they really get into the nitty-gritty of the local cultures in Japan, Brazil, and Jamaica. The first season is made up of four main episodes, each about 45 minutes long, and it wraps up with a heavy special episode about the tragic Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. In Japan, the pair hangs out in Tokyo , looking at the weird mix of high-tech living and old-school traditions. They check out a place where you can actually rent a friend, party in the tiny bars of Ni-chōme, and even see a "friendship marriage" at a temple. The most intense part is when a young guy uses their cameras to finally tell his mom he's gay, which shows how much pressure there is to just "fit in"...
The story starts with Alejandro, a kid in Mexico who doesn't get along with his dad. One night, he gets drunk and accidentally hits his mom with his car. He thinks he killed her, so he panics and runs away to New York. Then we meet Jack, a guy from New York who walks dogs and has a pretty messy family life. His mom is sick, his dad is cheating, and his dad is also annoyed because Jack has no real plans for his life. Jack literally bumps into Alejandro on the street while walking a bunch of dogs. Later, Alejandro sees a TV ad for a pet store and goes there, which is exactly where Jack works. Even though Alejandro shows up wearing a blazer with no shirt underneath, Jack is immediately into him because he seems so cool and confident. Jack doesn't realize yet that Alejandro is actually a total wreck. Alejandro introduces Jack to a wild world of neon strip clubs, drug deals, and orgies, and the two eventually start sleeping together. Both guys seem to be bisexual or just fluid with who they like. But Alejandro is on a downward spiral and decides they should start robbing houses where women or old ladies live alone. While this is happening, the movie spends a lot of time on Jack’s family drama, which isn't very interesting. At the same time, Alejandro’s dad has sent people to New York to find him, and it's pretty clear things are going to end badly for everyone involved.
The "love story" here really just shows how bad these two are for each other. If you try to figure out their sexuality, you'll probably just end up confused. Their relationship is full of anger, depending on each other too much, and random bits of violence. They first hook up while they are with other women, and things just get weirder from there. It’s hard to tell if they actually like each other or if they are just trying to destroy their lives. Alejandro is like a live wire who just passes his problems onto Jack. Every bad thing they do just makes their lives more chaotic. A lot of the side characters, like the guys sent by the dad in Mexico or Jack’s cheating father, feel like they are just there to fill time rather than adding anything real to the story. The two lead actors have some chemistry, but they don't really have enough "spark" to make you care about the whole movie. The film is shot to look like an old underground movie from the 70s or 80s, but that doesn't save it. I found the whole thing to be a total bore, and I don't think even people at film festivals will find much to talk about here.
This movie is a confusing and slow mess that tries to be edgy but just ends up being a big drag. (2/10)
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