This movie was just plain weird. I really went in wanting to like it, but the whole pretentious, overly poetic vibe, combined with this choppy editing that keeps hopping back and forth in these tiny five to ten second bursts, just made it feel dragged out for no real reason, way too self indulgent if you ask me. Honestly this could've been trimmed down to a fifteen minute short and lost nothing. And I still don't get what the deal was with women dancing along the beach while some overwrought, flowery narration plays over the top. The plot creeps along at a snail's pace, slowly building toward some confrontation that you can see coming from a mile away and that just gets duller the closer it gets. By the time it actually happened I'd totally checked out as a viewer, even with two genuinely good looking guys leading the film. The setup itself is pretty basic. Lorena and Diego are trying to settle into a new life in a small town by the coast, both nervously starting fresh ...
The story centers on a cold, cocky tennis phenom whose entire livelihood is on the line due to a severe injury, and his bad attitude is matched only by his constant state of misery. On the flip side, you have a kind yet overwhelmed physical therapist who is drowning in massive debt because his brother got gravely sick, which leaves him constantly hounded by loan sharks. Out of pure desperation to keep his job, he agrees to an unfairly controlling contract with the athlete, essentially turning him into a personal project and a bound worker. The therapist tries hard to keep his dignity intact, but the mounting medical expenses and monetary strains back him into a corner he cannot get out of. What begins as a power struggle rapidly spirals into a much darker obsession, creating a powerful emotional pull that neither guy can ignore. Then there is the athlete's friend, who might also be his ex, who acts as his sole source of moral guidance to keep him functioning like a normal person, though it rarely pays off. That friend eventually strikes up a thing with the team's photographer, starting out as a casual fling before deepening into a real relationship as they grow closer. Meanwhile, the therapist's ailing brother plays a big role, fully aware of the strain he puts on his family and fiercely protective of his naive older sibling who got trapped in this mess. The plot basically runs in endless loops around the main duo having sex and breaking up because the athlete is deeply flawed and toxic, repeating this exact pattern over and over until the younger brother and the second couple finally step in to push the main romance forward.
I really do not get why so many BL creators are obsessed with putting abuse, bullying, and coercion on a pedestal while trying to pass it off as acceptable. They always have the victim forgive their harasser under the excuse that deep down inside, it comes from a place of love, and I am completely over that trope. The absolute worst part of this project is the total absence of spark between the two leads, and their romantic moments are so unbelievably stiff that you can tell neither actor wanted to be there. There was no real closeness to speak of, nor could they manage to fake it. Whole chapters go by without moving the story or characters forward at all, relying instead on long gazes, quiet sitting, and cryptic talks that never felt important enough to deserve that much airtime. Both main guys stay so closed off for so long that you never really get what drives them or feel invested in their path, leaving their inner struggles feeling completely half-baked. By the time I finished the third episode, I was so totally checked out that I did not give a damn if they ended up together or parted ways forever. This whole project is completely unmemorable, so you definitely shouldn't waste your precious time on such trash. (3/10)
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