Up to this point, my experience with vertical BL dramas has been a struggle, defined by humiliating tropes and toxic dynamics. This production feels like a breath of fresh air by comparison, even if the central premise feels somewhat overused. With the LGBTQ+ market being large enough to warrant a full-scale push, every production company seems to be aggressively entering the vertical drama space.Though they were childhood friends, Kit and River now inhabit entirely different social spheres. Kit, the son of River's family's helper, is an openly gay, creative student who exists on the fringes of the high school social hierarchy. River, meanwhile, is the confident, popular athlete. When River faces the prospect of failing his guitar class—a failure he cannot afford—he approaches Kit for tutoring, offering to protect him from bullies in return. As they spend more time together, River begins flirting, making it increasingly obvious that he has genuine feelings for Kit. Unsure of how to react, Kit treats it as a possible phase and plays along without fully committing. After River eventually confesses his feelings, the two start a relationship. However, when River's girlfriend discovers the truth, she threatens to out him, causing River to distance himself from Kit entirely. Even after Kit confronts him directly, River remains unresponsive. Ultimately, River realizes he cannot stay away; in a very sweet finale, he sings a song for Kit and confesses his feelings in front of everyone.By centering the emotional bond between Kit and River rather than relying on suffering as a primary plot device, the show already distinguishes…
Picking up immediately after the season two cliffhanger, Season three finds Danny and his newly estranged ex Matty both diving back into the New York City dating scene. The structure remains consistent: six episodes, each running about twenty five minutes. While the honest observations regarding middle aged gay life in NYC remain impactful, the sharp, witty energy that defined the first two seasons feels somewhat muted this time around. Instead, the focus shifts toward Danny and Matt navigating their personal issues and determining if there is anything left worth saving. There is also a real sense that the show might be reaching its conclusion.Alongside Danny, Matt now gets his own moments speaking directly to camera, marking the biggest shift this season. Following the Season two finale where Matt asked Danny to be his boyfriend and was rejected, both men are now navigating a sense of bitterness. Danny attempts a relationship with someone into polyamory, but it fails to work out. Meanwhile, Matt continues to date, yet he repeatedly hits the same wall: no one can replicate the effortless chemistry and fun role play he shared with Danny, a realization that begins to mess with his head and impact his sex life. Several episodes track both men through the messy, strange situations inherent in dating. In one instance, Danny is tricked by a man into filming their sex, which is then uploaded to a gay porn site that Matt happens to discover, leading him to tell Danny to have it removed. The show also features a funny episode where both men…
The purpose of this film remains unclear to me. It is a moody drama with gay undertones, following two drifters without roots who attempt to communicate through graffiti on objects and walls throughout the Pacific Northwest. With total dialogue lasting only 15 minutes, you could fast forward the entire movie and not miss a single thing.A young teenager named Nick spends his life eating, sleeping, and tagging empty walls in the bleak industrial downtown of Portland. After shoplifting paints, fruit, and whatever else he requires, he frequently ends up sleeping on the streets. He forms an unexpected bond with Jesse, a boy from a more affluent background who shares his passion for graffiti. The two stay together, tagging as a pair and photographing one another in front of their work. One night, Jesse advances sexually toward Nick, but things shift following that encounter. Jesse rejects any further advances and moves to Seattle. When Nick tracks him down, Jesse claims they are two different people; this surprises Nick, who reminds Jesse that he was the one who initiated sex. Jesse walks away, and Nick continues on with his life.It seems the filmmaker intended to celebrate the art of graffiti first, constructing a narrative around it second. Through multiple angles, the painting scenes break down the act itself, celebrating how it gives meaning to Nick's life by detailing him painting everywhere and taking photographs of his work. While the film likely appeared in a few gay film festivals, it feels odd because, aside from that one night of sudden, hasty sex between…
It feels like just another day with another vertical BL. I am beginning to wonder if these shows are even distinct, or if we are just seeing the same recycled tropes—the same debt, the same rich guy/poor guy dynamic, and the same constant angst—over and over. Occasionally, a title appears to break the pattern, only to vanish back into the mass of mediocrity, and this one follows that exact trend. Boxing rivals Shane and Roman find themselves at odds when Roman's father's female enforcer threatens Shane, demanding he throw a match or face his coach's death. Shane refuses to comply and defeats Roman instead. Upon discovering her scheme, Roman fires her immediately, apologizes to Shane, and settles Shane's debt. However, Shane refuses to accept the gesture, believing Roman was complicit from the beginning. To bridge the gap, Roman hires Shane to serve as his personal assistant and coach. While Roman's feelings for Shane are evident early on, Shane eventually begins to reciprocate as they spend more time together. Just as their romance intensifies, Roman's mafia father attempts to drive Shane away using both money and intimidation, but Roman is too committed to Shane to be swayed. Predictably, the disgraced enforcer returns to kidnap Shane's coach. Shane agrees to a rescue mission on the condition that he never sees Roman again. This leads to a climactic showdown where both men's lives are endangered, though Shane ultimately saves Roman. This act finally convinces the father that Shane's intentions were rooted in love rather than greed. The influence of Heated Rivalry is unmistakable…
I had been hearing buzz about this movie for some time. Word was that several film festivals rejected it because it pushes the limits of queer storytelling so aggressively. Set during a single, alcohol-fueled night in Los Angeles, the plot follows an internet sex worker and his former middle school teacher—a convicted sex offender. The narrative dives immediately into taboo subjects, trauma, and unresolved abuse. Having watched it now, I understand the festivals' hesitation. A central theme permeates the film: the notion that the outward desire to be loved and the desire to be wanted can appear nearly identical, even when they are fundamentally different. Aaron Eagle makes a living as a fetish cam performer, finding gratification in humiliating his audience by hurling slurs like faggot at them; evidently, there is a market for such behavior. When a stranger offers him fifty grand to spend a night together, Aaron accepts without hesitation and arrives at the man's residence. Wearing a balaclava to conceal his identity, the stranger intends to record their entire conversation, peppering Aaron with questions to peel back the persona and find the real man. It becomes apparent quite early that Aaron is not being entirely truthful. Once the mask is removed, the man is revealed to be Hank, a man convicted and fired for the sexual abuse of a student, essentially a pedophile. As they discuss their histories, Hank eventually confesses the details of what happened with that student to Aaron. Aaron, in turn, shares stories of his childhood and the path that led to his current…
One of the worst viewing experiences I've endured, this micro budget film is a mess. The plot feels entirely random, as if a collection of unrelated scenes were filmed and then haphazardly stitched together to mimic a story. It is a confusing, overcrowded, and sloppy B-movie featuring characters who are almost impossible to distinguish from one another. I found myself questioning why anyone would bother making this, especially since it isn't even a forgotten relic from the 90s. On top of that, there is a ridiculous amount of ass nudity and full frontal that serves no purpose whatsoever. I struggled to find a coherent story beneath the excess. I was so lost during the film that I had to search for the plot online afterward just to grasp what was happening. To summarize: Dennis, a disturbed cemetery worker who conceals serious physical disfigurements under a creepy hood, develops an unhinged, obsessive crush. Convinced that death is the path to eternal togetherness, he resorts to increasingly dark and deadly methods when he cannot win this person over normally. Parallel to this is a second storyline involving a straight wrestling coach who is suddenly attracted to one of his male students. This student ends up in serious danger as the coach wrestles with these forbidden, confusing feelings. Blending obsession and desire with supernatural elements, the film is supposedly about the lengths desperate men will go to achieve their desires. At various points, I was so confused that I thought I had accidentally skipped parts of the movie. I waited for the narrative…
I keep spotting a trend where several gay porn performers are attempting to transition into reality TV. Having seen a few of these programs now, I have to give credit where it is due: these men are definitely pushing themselves outside their comfort zones. However, whether the shows themselves are actually any good is an entirely different matter. OutTV is a pioneer in this niche, and my immediate takeaway from this particular series is how heavily scripted it feels. It is impossible to view this as true reality, a fact that becomes painfully apparent the moment the police arrive to arrest a cast member. It is clear the producers will do anything to provoke a reaction from the audience. Even so, I am sure there is an audience that enjoys this style, and I shouldn't judge it outright just because it isn't my cup of tea. The series consists of six episodes, each lasting about twenty minutes. Set in Miami, the show follows Boomer Banks as he attempts to organize a residency—a term he repeats roughly twice per episode to ensure no one forgets—at a gay hotel where he will DJ and produce a show. He enlists his friends Max Konnor and Joey Mills, who have apparently collaborated on previous projects. While Boomer is mostly preoccupied with throwing a fantastic party, he can't help but instigate drama; to that end, he secretly brings in a fourth man, Drake Von, an up-and-coming twink clearly intended to clash with the more established Joey Mills. As various other characters drift in and out,…
This vertical drama leans heavily into every available gay vertical BL stereotype, bundling them all together for the viewer. Between the standard friends-to-lovers trope, the unhinged girlfriend of the supposedly straight lead, and an abundance of family drama, the formula is well-worn. While the typical mafia subplot is absent this time, you know exactly what kind of experience you are getting. The story centers on Cal and Ricky. As the wrestling team captain, Ricky makes a habit of constantly bullying Cal and hurling gay slurs at him at every opportunity. Because Cal's father is the wrestling coach, Cal lives in a state of genuine terror regarding him. Following a bullying incident that crosses a line, the coach mandates that Ricky begin training Cal personally. Ricky agrees to this arrangement because wrestling is vital to him; his home life is difficult, money is scarce, and his mother is physically abusive. What begins as a period of hostility and humiliation gradually evolves into a confusing tension, as their physical training blurs the boundary between rivalry and attraction. While Cal focuses on proving his worth in the ring, Ricky struggles to process emerging feelings. As the tournament approaches, both men face intense pressure, jealousy, and external expectations. When Ricky's girlfriend catches them kissing, she follows through on her threat to expose them. Cal fears his father's reaction, but in a surprising twist, his dad proves to be completely supportive. Following further drama, Ricky's mom eventually comes around, allowing the two of them to finally be together. Predictably, putting a bully and his victim…
The plot of this indie art film centers on a young gay man navigating a series of sexual encounters throughout Hong Kong. Rather than focusing on the sex, the interest lies in the surrounding context: the long, wandering dialogues between him and his partners that range from occasionally clichéd to quite profound, touching on life and their place in the world. Much like the protagonist, most of the men he encounters are transplants in the sprawling city, finding one another through a mobile app. With very little plot beyond this, it feels as though the director is utilizing a single man's hookup cycle as a lens to examine intimacy and isolation within this fragmented community of men. The protagonist is a gay, single man in his twenties who feels restless regarding his life's direction and is in a near-constant state of arousal. The film follows his journey from one encounter to the next, ensuring each feels unique. Interestingly, he seems to reinvent himself with every new partner, adopting traits from his recent lovers to craft the persona he presents to the next person. His journey includes an Iranian biologist, an architect whose boyfriend is a kink-oriented flight attendant, a Thai bartender working sex work to avoid returning home, a brief encounter with a delivery guy, and time spent with an older man visibly paralyzed by the grief of losing a partner. He eventually reunites with the aforementioned flight attendant and concludes with a Black dancer. Regardless of the partner, the dialogue consistently returns to themes of ambition, loss, and the…
Mixing medical drama with emotional turmoil, Hard Shift is a fast paced vertical mini-series available on the NetShort app. The story follows a composed urologist whose calm demeanor unravels the second a rebellious race car driver enters his clinic. What follows is a tug-of-war between personal desire and professional reason. While the setting is fresh, the tropes remain the same, fitting perfectly into the vertical BL world you are already familiar with. The plot centers on Liam Summers, a famous race car driver and wealthy heir, who visits Dr Jasper's urology clinic to address erection problems. Jasper finds himself immediately attracted to him; during the examination, he suggests the issue could stem from racing stress or perhaps the possibility that Liam is actually into men rather than women. To test this, Liam tries gay porn, but since it doesn't work for him, he downloads an app to meet a man. Through a very convenient twist, Dr Jasper is staying at the same hotel where Liam's hookup is supposed to be, leading the two to spend the night together instead. This encounter upsets the man Liam was originally meant to meet, who begins pursuing both Liam and Jasper in increasingly weird ways. Meanwhile, Liam's girlfriend continues to push for marriage, throwing herself at him constantly. Amidst this confusion regarding his own sexuality, Liam finds Dr Jasper pushing past medical ethics until the two eventually become a couple. The relationship faces opposition from Liam's father, who refuses to accept them. In an attempt to destroy Dr Jasper's reputation, the rejected hookup and…
Right now, vertical BLs—mostly originating from the US—are popping up everywhere, and it feels inevitable that AI-generated versions will soon start flooding the market. Until that nightmare becomes a reality, I find myself unable to stop watching these guilty pleasures. Even as I roll my eyes and give them low ratings because they all feel so much the same, I just can't quit them. That is simply my life at this point. The story follows Donovan and Kaden. Kaden is the student body president with a twink-coded aesthetic who is openly gay, while Donovan is the stereotypical straight macho quarterback. Kaden is attracted to Donovan, but he faces bullying and mockery from Donovan, much like the rest of the school. Tensions rise during budget planning after Kaden fails to allocate sufficient funds to the football team, which intensifies the harassment. Following a prank gone wrong, Kaden is punished by being assigned as the water boy for the football team. It is in this role that Donovan begins secretly flirting with him, even though he continues to act as if Kaden doesn't exist in public. They eventually kiss, and Donovan admits he cannot afford to be seen with another man due to the potential impact on his future; however, he does begin intervening to prevent others from bullying Kaden. While Kaden enjoys the attention, he isn't blind to the reality that Donovan will never acknowledge him publicly. After their first night together, they are caught by a girl—the typical evil girlfriend archetype—who blackmails Donovan into pretending to be her boyfriend so…
It is evident that short form creators were paying close attention when Heated Rivalry became a hit, as gay athlete love stories are evolving into a distinct genre of their own. You can sense that more of these are on the way. This installment dives immediately into the aftermath, resuming Donovan and Kaden's relationship just after everything went public at the end of the first series. The show opens with things going well for the pair, bolstered by Donovan receiving his NFL draft call. Rather than celebrating, however, Donovan is prepared to abandon the opportunity because going professional would require him to hide his true self, something he refuses to do at the expense of Kaden. After his mother pulls Kaden aside to tell him he needs to stop getting in his own way, Kaden makes the heartbreaking decision to invent a fake relationship and push Donovan away so the man can pursue his dream. Three years later, Kaden is nearing the end of his degree and interning at an NFL agency that is currently eyeing Donovan for a contract. When Donovan walks in, he asks for Kaden by name to be his assigned contact for the entire negotiation. While revenge is the intended plan, it falls apart every single time he is in the same room as Kaden. Kaden continues to build walls, driven by his singular focus on protecting Donovan's career. This results in over an hour of charged, love you hate you energy. During this time, Donovan quietly informs the agency that he is gay, secures an…
