This film fits neatly into the ongoing trend of male bonding dramas, centering on two men—one straight and one gay—whose lives become intertwined following a shared loss. While the underlying concept is good, the execution fumbles the potential. The movie fails to provide proper explanations at the beginning or resolutions at the end, and the focus is frequently diverted by various side characters and storylines that should have remained with the two leads. The narrative would have benefited significantly from more digging into the characters' histories. Following the death of Kenneth, his estranged son Martin travels from New York back to the family home in Cape Cod, ending years of no contact. Martin is unaware that after his mother passed, his father entered a relationship with his gardener, Ted, who is now left grieving alone. Forced to sit across from one another, these two strangers—the son and the partner—must navigate funeral arrangements and the reality of life moving forward. Because the man Ted describes with such love bears little resemblance to the father Martin remembers, their dynamic shifts between being weirdly funny and genuinely sad. The tension centers on the house: Martin views it as something to sell, especially with a relentless real estate agent constantly appearing to push that agenda, while Ted wants to stay in the place where his entire relationship with Kenneth lived. Martin, however, is not in a rush to hand over what he considers his right to deal with. The film gives both men a fair hearing, avoiding making either one the obvious villain. While…
Having rated season one quite high because that sharp, satirical humor resonated so well with me, I approached this season with high hopes. Unfortunately, it let me down hard. I found myself bored and checking out during nearly every episode, as the jokes simply failed to land this time around. Given this experience, I am not shocked the show got cancelled after this season. As with the previous run, it consists of ten episodes, each about twenty minutes long. Even with the same cast returning, something about this felt fundamentally off. Alvarez’s character, Mr Evans, undergoes a shift from a lovable mess who navigates life with neurotic charm to a grown man desperately attempting to join some sort of Bro Code Brotherhood of America. While Malcolm remains the boyfriend, Gwen is back as his high-energy best friend, and we still have Markie the gym teacher, the principal, and Rick. Although Evan and Malcolm are officially a couple now, their relationship is rocky. Markie continues to crush hard on Gwen—who is back with her jobless boyfriend—while still making offensive comments despite his good intentions. Meanwhile, Rick stays lost in his own weird world, pursuing his next terrible business idea. This season forces Evan to confront various biases regarding himself and those around him. The dinner at the principal's place was the one episode that actually worked for me; meeting the principal's daughter's husband, a very flamboyant guy from the South, highlights how Evan can't wrap his head around the idea that someone so openly gay presenting could be genuinely in love…
For those following gay content, Alan Cumming is likely a familiar face, perhaps due to his work on Traitors. He co-owns Club Cumming in NYC, a venue that has become a staple for the queer community to dance, find joy, and exist unapologetically and freely. A wonderful crew of people manages the establishment, and this docuseries—consisting of six episodes lasting approximately twenty minutes each—documents the community they have built through kindness, diversity, and a healthy dose of mischief. Set in Manhattan, the series shows Alan Cumming himself mingling with club co-owner and manager Darren Dryden, comedian Jake Cornell, drag king Cunning Stunt, drag queen Brini Maxwell, gogo dancer and drag performer Michelle Wynters, and cabaret singer Daphne Always as they all work together. Club Cumming acts as a stubborn remnant of a bygone New York era that simply won't disappear. While the exterior appears quite ordinary from the street, the interior reveals a space filled with overhead chandeliers and walls adorned with murals of nightlife icons. This tiny stage hosts a chaotic, wild mashup of downtown weirdos and diverse performance styles, ranging from Broadway performers on their nights off to drag queens and kings and burlesque acts. The bar's true magic lies in its small, communal, and personal atmosphere, providing a sanctuary for people to escape the heaviness of the current political moment, the stress of the world, and their daily anxieties. Through the show, we get brief glimpses into the lives of the staff. Cunning Stunt runs Manhattan's only drag king competition and drag king bingo night right at…
Not a single person in this movie is given a proper name. It seems the creators intended to strip away labels to make sexuality appear normal, though I am at a loss as to what they actually hoped to achieve with that approach. The film functions as a quiet, low-budget suspense piece characterized by very little dialogue. In my opinion, the experience was a messy blend of a grim suspense flick and a queer romance blossoming under weird circumstances, which ultimately fell flat. Rather than building a proper foundation, they simply padded the runtime with long, drawn out moments that would have been better spent fleshing out the plot.Haunted by memories of a former partner, a nameless guy leaves his house to camp out in the desert, which is how the plot begins. He is ambushed by an unseen force during the night, leading to his rescue by a man and a woman who tend to his injuries. However, their farm seems to exist completely outside the normal flow of time. It is immediately apparent that both hosts are interested in the newcomer, though the woman's behavior fluctuates between being flirty and being outright creepy. While a mutual attraction develops between the two men, the woman maintains all the power; she becomes super angry when she realizes her gentle partner is falling for the helpless visitor. On separate occasions, the stranger has passionate encounters with both of them. As the story wraps up, the local guy helps him break free. Even though the traveler begs him to escape this bizarre…
I am somewhat unsure if this should be classified as a film or a documentary, but because it has appeared at several doc festivals, I will label it a documentary for the time being. The premise follows a filmmaker who moves to Chicago after his older boyfriend loses interest in him; once there, he uses dating apps to find new men for a loose, undefined project investigating attachment, compatibility, and attraction—a concept his mother apparently cannot stand. After sitting through the seventy something minutes, I found the experience to be completely aimless, a sentiment that even the creators themselves seem to acknowledge. While the work does pose some genuinely hard questions, they feel less like intentional inquiries and more like natural byproducts of attempting to navigate intimacy without anyone ever setting clear boundaries. After splitting from his older boyfriend, Bethel moves to Chicago to start a new life. He has a vague desire to launch a film project, though he lacks any actual concept for it. To begin, he filters through his Grindr matches and invites roughly twelve men to meet him in person. These discussions, which take place in Bethel's studio, cover a vast range of topics, from how Grindr has altered their dating methods and the way their libidos fade over time to their sexual preferences, their specific subcultures, and general views on art. The vibe of these meetings mirrors a first date almost perfectly—flirtatious and disjointed, occasionally awkward, before abruptly becoming sharp and overtly sexual. The film grows even more experimental as each man is given a…
After enduring several AI-generated productions recently, I have developed a newfound appreciation for authentic vertical series. This particular one was quite a surprise; instead of the usual gang subplots or underworld drama, the story prioritizes actual love and avoids the tiresome cycle of senseless misunderstandings. Even the girlfriend isn't portrayed as a scheming villain seeking revenge. We are also introduced to two new lead actors, one of whom sports a very hot beard. Regarding the narrative, it is evident that everyone is drawing inspiration from the Heated Rivalry formula, though this version applies that specific twist to the world of rugby. As the golden boy captain of the Los Angeles Stallions, Colby Stryker enters the season intent on protecting his reputation, his title, and the flawless life he has constructed. However, his greatest challenge arrives in Ridge Maddox, an intense player from Kansas whose fearless energy and immense talent demand attention. Following a brutal on-field rivalry, Ridge is unexpectedly moved onto Colby's team, transforming their mutual animosity into a daily struggle within the locker room, during practice, and under the gaze of the media. Forced to work together, the pair finds themselves competing for the captaincy as the team prepares for the World Championship. While Colby's existence is largely dictated by his powerful mother, Sylvia, who utilizes her wealth and emotional influence to maintain his squeaky clean image, Ridge refuses to bow to anyone. He quickly notices the fear Colby conceals beneath his confidence. Being openly gay, Ridge creates an intense sexual tension that crackles between them even during arguments.…
