I didn't realize before watching this that people from Middlesbrough call themselves Smoggies, but that is the setting for the British sitcom Smoggie Queens. I had never even heard of this show until now, so I went in completely blind to these six episodes, each lasting about half an hour, and it turned out to be a brilliant little find. The series centers on a group of LGBTQ friends who have essentially built their own chosen family. You watch them navigate secrets, drag brunches, terrible dates, and break-ups—the kind of constant drama that only happens when everyone in a friend group knows every single detail about everyone else.The cast includes Dickie, a drag queen; his drag mother Mam; a newly out man named Stewart; Sal, a lesbian with musical ambitions; and Lucinda, the group's lone straight friend. As they navigate life in Middlesbrough, they are all simultaneously figuring out their careers, their relationships, and one another. The series kicks off with Dickie being dumped by his boyfriend Harrison, which is complicated enough since Harrison is also a colleague. Dickie's immediate attempt to win him back goes exactly as poorly as you would expect. From there, the show follows a classic sitcom format where each episode explores a different premise. In one, Mam goes into full fairy godmother mode to help Lucinda find her perfect match, and in another, Mam hosts a Titanic themed brunch that is interrupted by the sudden appearance of an old enemy. I found the murder mystery game night episode to be the funniest, as Dickie loses…
Set within the cosmetics industry, this series offers a sweet, low-key romance. I can't think of another BL that has utilized this specific backdrop, which makes the premise feel fresh. However, once you look past the setting, the show reverts to a familiar pattern: two attractive leads fall in love, navigate a series of misunderstandings, resolve them, and unite by the end. Fortunately, this simplicity is effective, and the likable leads are able to carry the story. With only eight episodes at twenty five minutes each, it is a quick, easy watch. The story centers on Mamiya and Sahashi. A hardworking cosmetics consultant, Mamiya is warm, upbeat, and popular with his clients—a career path he has pursued since childhood after watching a dedicated man do the same job. That childhood admiration evolved into a crush on that very man, who is now his boss. In contrast, Sahashi is a former model who is relatively new to the company and tends to keep to himself. Despite this, Mamiya believes in him, constantly encouraging him to stay motivated and work hard. The plot takes an unexpected turn when Sahashi discovers Mamiya's crush on their boss; for reasons that remain somewhat unclear, Sahashi begins pushing Mamiya to put in more effort and actually pursue the man. As they both become popular sales consultants and drive real numbers for the company, the series follows their slow romance as they support each other's professional growth. Eventually, Mamiya is promoted to chief, while Sahashi is sent to the Tokyo head office for a few months. This…
It is rare to find a film that manages to transport an audience so effectively, yet this 2024 Cannes premiere achieves exactly that by immersing viewers in the 1990s and the HIV/AIDS reality faced by gay and bisexual men during those years. Rather than feeling like a modern production reflecting on the past, it functions as a proper time capsule that feels as though it could have been produced during that very era. Given how surprisingly hard it is to find gay-themed films set against the backdrop of the AIDS crisis, this work feels especially necessary. The story at its center is warm enough to allow almost anyone to connect with it, and the film handles the period's emotions with a palpable sense of love and respect. The narrative begins in 1990, centered on a moment at a party where a young couple, Sammy and Emma, both kiss a stranger who offers them ecstasy. This encounter triggers a shift in Sammy, leading him to reveal his bisexuality to Emma; though caught off guard, she responds well. A few years pass, and as the pair prepares to move into a new flat, they are joined by their son, Nathan. Their neighbor, a renowned photographer named Cyril, experiences an immediate creative spark upon seeing Sammy and Nathan and asks to photograph them. While Cyril is HIV positive and managing his condition with AZT, his health remains stable. An irresistible pull draws Sammy and Cyril together into a relationship, one where Cyril is transparent about his status and Sammy remains unfazed. When Emma…
Because regional Indian cinema seldom explores gay love stories, a Gujarati film tackling the subject feels significant from the start, especially as this one aims to convey a meaningful message regarding self-acceptance in a world that makes it so difficult. While the Narmada river villages serve as a visually stunning backdrop, and the care taken to capture that setting is palpable, the storytelling is where the film falters. The narrative suffers from scenes that drag on without purpose; a sharper edit focusing the camera on the actual process of how these two men fall for each other would have done the story much more justice. After pulling a drowning Ratan from the water, a fisherman named Raaymal decides to mentor the gentle, withdrawn man who has had little experience with life. As Raaymal teaches him how to row, cook, and find his footing, a genuine friendship develops between the two. Their bond is complicated by their differing diets; Ratan does not eat meat, while Raaymal is devoted to his fish curry, a detail that becomes increasingly significant as their relationship evolves. When Ratan eventually reveals that he attempted suicide because his family rejected his sexuality, Raaymal simply laughs it off without judgment and helps Ratan build a home near the village. In a reciprocal gesture, Ratan learns to cook Raaymal's favorite Katlaa curry, which Raaymal claims is the best thing he has ever eaten. When Ratan confesses his love, Raaymal is initially unsure how to react, having never truly sat with his own sexuality, yet he cannot ignore the pull…
Set in communist Yugoslavia during the late 1950s, this film presents a jarring blend of beauty and devastation. We follow a group of friends working in film who find themselves hunted, humiliated, and punished solely because of their homosexuality. It is a devastating cinematic experience that explores the heavy price of bravery, loyalty, and standing firm in one's convictions. The story centers on four friends—Lovro, Nenad, and two others—who once fought together as partisans against the Nazis during WWII. By the late fifties, sixteen years later, they have achieved fame as filmmakers. Their status as former military service members provides them with government backing, allowing Lovro and Nenad to work on set undisturbed and live their relationship openly, a fact even their parents accept. However, complications arise when Lovro attempts to sneak a scene into their latest film implying that a border guard and a soldier from the Yugoslav People's Army eloped to Italy, an act spotted by a member of the censorship board monitoring the production. This leads to the arrival of Emir, a middle-aged bureaucrat positioned in the middle ranks, who is quietly instructed to sabotage the film from within without an official mandate. Interestingly, Emir is not actually troubled by the couple being gay; his sole purpose is to destroy the production. His attempt at sabotage fails when he gets caught in a fire, and it is the four friends who ultimately rescue him. Feeling a sense of debt, he invites them to his sister's seaside home for a relaxing weekend, failing to realize the danger this…
Between the direction, the acting, and the overall presentation, watching this movie felt like sitting through a Spanish soap opera. The pacing is consistently off; much like a typical soap, the buildup drags on far longer than necessary, only to rush toward the payoff. The final act then speeds through the conclusion with several half baked speeches and a crowd of smiling faces, resulting in a really underwhelming ending. To be fair, the film does explore some important themes worth talking about, serving as a decent reminder of how much family really matters and how damaging prejudice can be. After four years together, gay couple David and Bruno attempt to conceive a child. To make this happen, David's twin sister Virginia provides her egg to be used with Bruno's sperm and a surrogate. This decision infuriates her husband, Miguel, sparking significant tension throughout the family. When no pregnancy is detected after a month, everyone assumes the attempt failed, only to discover a month later that the surrogate is indeed pregnant. Because of Miguel's initial intense reaction, Virginia chooses to hide the news from him completely. The baby is born nine months later to an overjoyed grandmother, yet somehow, impossibly, Miguel remains in the dark about the situation. Virginia and their mother both assist in raising the child until a tragic accident claims the lives of both Virginia and Bruno. It is at the hospital that Miguel discovers Virginia's secret, leading him to completely cut off his brother-in-law. A few years pass and the baby has become a young child. David…
