Will and Adam arrive under different circumstances. They have shared a one-night stand, not a relationship, and Will joins the weekend because he has known Owen for years. A social worker, Will is more established emotionally, whereas Adam is still young and uncertain about commitment—both sexual and emotional. As the weekend progresses, the group repeatedly turns its attention from one person to another, and each connection is pushed toward a reckoning with both recent events and older histories.
The shifts become increasingly personal. Owen sleeps with a stranger in the woods, only for the man to appear later at the house. He is revealed to be the former boyfriend of Paul’s deceased brother. Adam proposes that he, Will and Owen become involved in a threesome, but the idea fails to develop. Instead, Ben, devastated by the collapse of his relationship, sleeps with Adam. Paul then declares that he has met someone new, bringing his relationship with Ben to an end. The film’s major revelation concerns the identity of the person Paul encountered at his brother’s funeral and the way that meeting connects with the rest of the weekend.
None of this makes the film especially groundbreaking or unforgettable, but its situations are grounded enough that viewers may recognize pieces of their own lives in them. The production is rough in places, yet the sincerity behind it is clear. It avoids melodrama, pretension and unnecessary decoration, and it does not rely on the familiar stereotypical drag tropes. Its resolutions are generally agreeable, even if they arrive rather quickly.
The cast handles the material well, and despite the film’s heavy reliance on dialogue, it never feels like a filmed stage play. Each pairing receives its own conflict and storyline, with enough space for the audience to understand and appreciate what is happening. I did not anticipate the revelation about Paul’s encounter at the funeral. This is not the most dazzling film, but its honesty keeps it relevant and makes it worth watching after all these years.
(6/10)