Now that we’re several days into June, I thought it was fitting to kick off the official month of pride with movies in that vein!
Emergency – Okay, well, the first movie I watched this weekend was not pride-related, but I still watched it, thus I must review it. This comedy film made its rounds during festival season, but I first saw it listed during Sundance in 2021. Given that I had way too many movies to consume over a weekend, this one did not make the cut, but I was pleased to see it advertised on Amazon Prime Video’s homepage. In this movie, college seniors Kunle and Sean are about to start the “Legendary Tour” of partying when then arrive at their house to find a random white girl passed out on the floor. In an effort not to get in trouble with police, they take the most complicated route on planet earth to finally get to a hospital. But really, Sean put it best, you can’t call the cops when a white girl is passed out in the house of a bunch of brown-skinned men – it just won’t play over well for them. There are plenty of stereotypes at play here, and while there were a good deal of comedic moments, this film didn’t let you forget the heavy stuff. I highly recommend!
Fire Island – As an SNL enthusiast, I knew I wasn’t going to miss this atypical rom-com co-starring Bowen Yang. The other star, and narrator of the film is writer, Joel Kim Booster. They play Howie and Noah respectively, and we meet them as they are on their way to Fire Island. Noah views this as a great time to hook up, but he wants Howie to actually connect with someone this year. Which they also find out is likely their last year attending this week of queerness. Even though Fire Island appears to be just outside of New York, it really does seem like its own world. I love the eclectic group of characters this film has to offer, along with the different types of lifestyles that people want to live. This film had me cackling, smiling huge, and even tearing up a little bit. Definitely a fun experience that I recommend you check out.
Pit Stop – What a strange drama this was. All but perhaps the last twenty minutes of this film our “love interests” spend apart. Instead, we spend a lot of time seeing how vastly different these two men live in a small Texas town. Ernesto seems to be plagued by unfaithful lovers. His current ex is still living with him, while another is in a coma, but he visits him regularly. Gabe on the other hand, is still living with his ex-wife and child, both wanting to hold onto the life he once had, but also not being able to stop himself from clandestinely hooking up with men. When the two do finally come together, it’s quite beautiful, but I just don’t know that I really cared for the journey there.
Other People – It’s been a hot minute since I watched this film that first introduced me to Jesse Plemons and Zach Woods. But after watching it again, I understand why. This movie is sad as shit! Be prepared to cry! Plemons plays David, who has come home to spend some final time with his mother who is dying of cancer. He’s able to reconnect with her and his sisters in ways he never felt he could before. And while things are better with them, the resentment he receives from his father is what you can tell bled into his personal life and ruined his relationship with Paul. I mean, definitely still watch this incredibly moving drama, just have a box of tissues ready when you do.