While we don’t do this as often as we want to, Jim and I finally found time to watch some gay movies that were recommended to us: A 2025 American indie rom-com, a 2024 Brazilian musical, and a deeply personal 2020 New York love story. Watch the video from our original broadcast or read below for an edited and expanded version.
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Things Like This
“Things Like This,” released in 2025, is writer-director Max Talisman’s entry into the queer rom-com landscape. The film stars Talisman alongside (St. Paul, MN native) Joey Pollari as two men who share the same name (Zach) and discover their connection runs deeper than coincidence.
The cast also includes Kara Buono, known for her role “Stranger Things,” and Charlie Tahan, whose credits include the Netflix crime series “Ozark.”
The opening scene immediately establishes body image as a thematic element, with Talisman’s character confronting comments about his plus-sized physique from a lover.
But this theme largely fades away by the middle of the film. While body image and body type are difficult issues to navigate, especially on the apps, at gay bars, and at the gyms, the film ultimately decides not to fully pursue the theme.
Or rather, the film normalizes size differences without making it a source of dramatic conflict. Jim noted that they didn’t have a moment with Talisman’s character saying, “I don’t deserve you; you’re out of my league.” And Pollari, in turn, doesn’t even bring up Talisman’s weight. Jim appreciated the approach saying it takes some guts. Most people don’t touch that hot stove.
John thought that the narrative thread had some challenges. At one point, Pollari’s Zach breaks up with Talisman’s Zach because he feels that he doesn’t know what he’s doing with his own life. But it comes out of nowhere. Maybe the intention was to demonstrate that it can “feel” like these moments come out of the blue. But as the viewer, we should see this tension build. We should see the internal conflict and wonder how it’s going to manifest. And when it does, we can still be surprised, but we know what its grounded in.
The film build’s to a charming conclusion, which includes Talisman singing at a high school prom. And Talisman can sing.
Jim’s verdict: 4 out of 5 rainbows. It’s sweet, but not particularly deep.
John’s verdict: 3.5 out of 5 rainbows. A stronger script would have made it sing, but definitely worth the watch when you’re getting out of the heat.
Available on Tubi (free) and Amazon Prime Video (paid).
The Best Friend
The 2024 Brazilian production “The Best Friend” (original title “O Melhor Amigo”) is from director Allan Deberton, with a screenplay by Andre Araujo, Otavio Chamorro, Raul Damasceno, and Deberton himself. The film stars VinÃcius Teixeira, Gabriel Fuentes, and Leo Bahia, with special appearances including legendary Brazilian performer Gretchen.
This is another reunion story. The main character Lucas (Teixeira) abandons an ostentatious marriage proposal from his boyfriend to vacation at Brazil’s equivalent of Fire Island, where he unexpectedly reunites with a former crush Felipe (Fuentes) who once rejected him due to his weight as a young boy.
Now that Lucas isn’t plus-sized anymore he wonders: will Felipe finally see me for who I always was?
The film is technically a musical, with one traditional musical number and the remaining are centered on drag performances.
Jim felt he had a hard time reading Lucas’ emotions. He thought he was too often left wondering: what is Lucas thinking? What is going on inside his head? The result for Jim was finding it hard to care about Lucas. Jim also felt the subtitles went by so fast that sometimes it’s hard to get the whole sentiment. However, Jim felt the movie was engaging with its musical numbers, its setting on the Brazilian coast, and Fuentes’ performance. He felt “The Best Friend” does pull you in and you end up rooting for them to get together.
John felt otherwise: Felipe isn’t good enough for Lucas. Felipe’s just floating around from one good time to another. Part of this is as his work as an escort. And he is upfront about it in the film’s opening number. But he’s hot and cold, at times jerking Lucas around. There are moments of genuine affection when they first sleep together (it’s not a spoiler to say in a rom com that they sleep together). And you see a rekindle of what they had. But there are other times when Felipe seems to be using Lucas just for one of his good times. Felipe is not unlike a glitter bomb. A burst of excitement and noise in the moment, but then it’s gone — with the remnants stuck all over you. All that being said, both the romantic relationship between Lucas and Felipe and the one between Lucas and his spurned boyfriend are very messy. It gives you the love triangle trope as Lucas clings to his feelings from his youth for Felipe while realizing that even the perfect boyfriend may not be so perfect after all.
Jim’s verdict: 4 out of 5 rainbows.
John’s verdict: 3.5 out of 5 rainbows.
Available on Dekkoo (paid) and Tubi (free).
Cicada
“Cicada”, a 2020 American independent film co-directed by Matthew Fifer and Kieran Mulcare. It’s co-written by Fifer and his co-star Sheldon D. Brown.
The cast includes Cobie Smulders as a therapist, Bowen Yang in a brief appearance, and Ayo Edebiri, in a cutaway shot – which was, frankly, ridiculous. If you have Ayo Edebiri, give her a line. Giver her all the lines.
The semi-autobiographical romantic drama centers on Ben (Fifer), a bisexual New Yorker played by Fifer, who navigates a past trauma of being molested. He meets Sam outside a bookstore for the meet-cute, which of course turns into something more. We discover that Sam (Brown) is wrestling with PTSD.
Of note, these trauma are based on Fifer’s and Brown’s own experiences.
The film gives us an honest portrayal of bisexual identity without succumbing to stereotypes. Bisexuality is on a spectrum, so we see Ben attracted to multiple genders; but, he does lean more towards one (men).
Both Ben’s and Sam’s traumas show up in different forms. Jim liked that the film avoided the “savior complex.” They both had their issues. They both had trouble. They both needed professional help. They were imperfect. And Jim appreciated how sort of imperfect they both were. They pushed each other, but neither was the “savior” for the other. Jim liked that the film was very non-preachy. It was very astute and really unique below the surface.
John agreed. It was great to see that Ben and Sam’s connection was so deep that they were confronted with a new challenge: even when the other is triggering me, how do we find a way to make this work? The film makes good use of silence, letting us see their bodies interact in both a sexual and mundane way (running through the chores of life). One false step was Ben’s therapist Sophie (Smolder). John, having had multiple therapists, felt Sophie’s behaviors stretched credibility. In a film that so masterfully handled the nuances of trauma and how it impacts personal relationships, Sophie feels jaw-boned into the film. Smolder commits to the role which helps, but ultimately her scenes feel like they were edited in from a sitcom. Overall, from a technical perspective, “Cicada” has high production values in terms of cinematography, lighting, and sound. They all match the sophistication of Fifer and Brown’s script (again, minus Sophie).
Jim’s verdict: 5 out of 5 rainbows.
John’s verdict: 4 out of 5 rainbows.
Available on Tubi (free) and Prime Video (paid) and Strand Releasing (paid).
