This one's a beautiful, tender, quiet romantic drama with a moody atmosphere, set in a tight knit Welsh fishing community. It's a touching story about a man waking up sexually in the middle of his life, and how he, his family, and everyone around him deal with it, which makes it emotional and sentimental without ever getting over the top. The slow burn plays out against a landscape that's as bleak as it is gorgeous, where quiet, closed off men are stuck inside rigid ideas of what masculinity should be. Some people might be reminded of "God's Own Country," but I think both films are lovely in their own way. Jack is a middle aged guy who co-owns a mussel farm with his rough around the edges brother Dyfan, and the tension between the two of them is simmering under the surface right from the start. Dyfan's three sons all help out with the work, while Jack's sulky teenage son Tom keeps skipping out. Jack's been with his wife since they were both 16, and...
Things are good between them when the show kicks off, and on top of that, Donovan gets his NFL draft call. But instead of celebrating, he is ready to walk away from the whole thing because going pro means hiding who he is, and he refuses to do that to Kaden. His mom pulls Kaden aside and basically tells him to get out of his own way, so Kaden does the heartbreaking thing, makes up a fake new relationship and pushes Donovan out of his life so the man can actually live his dream. Jump ahead three years and Kaden is close to finishing his degree while also interning at an NFL agency that has its eyes on signing Donovan. Donovan walks in and asks for Kaden by name as his assigned contact throughout the whole negotiation. Revenge is the plan. Except every time he is standing in the same room as Kaden, that plan completely falls apart. Kaden is still putting up walls because protecting Donovan's career is all he knows how to do. What follows is over an hour of charged, love you hate you energy while Donovan quietly tells the agency he is gay, locks in an NDA, takes on a fake girlfriend for appearances, and both of them gradually stop fighting what they feel. Kaden tries to retreat one more time but Donovan is done letting him. He goes public with his feelings after a game and the NFL does not even flinch.
What actually worked for me was that the revenge angle never turned ugly. Donovan was not trying to hurt Kaden, he just literally could not be near him without his feelings taking over, so it read more like aggressive flirting than anything else. Watching them stumble back toward each other, all the tension and miscommunication and loaded glances, was genuinely enjoyable, and there is something really sweet about two people who keep choosing each other even when they are trying not to. The way their relationship feels more mature here compared to the first series is a nice touch too. That said, the will they won't they goes on way longer than it should. The banter is fun for a while and then it just keeps going, running out of steam before they finally commit to anything. The actors carry it well though, and bringing back the water boy costume was a clever little nod to keep the title from feeling completely disconnected. Everything you would want from a sequel is in here, second chances, sacrifice, loyalty, growing up. (5/10)
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