gay

A very effective and intelligent erotic drama-thriller that explores sex and death in a very visual manner. The directing is simply impeccable (very reminiscent of Hitchcock), and the acting is top-notch as well. This is such a slow-burning, sex-infused, darkly funny little gem. Great stuff. A

The ending is really disappointing, but other than that it's a really intriguing mystery. The main character is both really likable and really stupid at the same time.

8/10 (B+)

I enjoyed it and give it a solid B. It is definitely a sterling aesthetic achievement, from the lengthy, voyeuristic, often static shot compositions to the neat way it builds suspense without relying on music. I am not sure if the portrayal of "cruising" here is realistic, but the beach and nearby forest where the entire film is set is definitely a rich location for a suspense story: a place of contact (sexual and otherwise) without identity is at once an exciting prospect and a dangerous one. The characters can be a bit mystifying as they go from detached ambivalence to fiery lust to detached ambivalence while indulging a collective death drive. I am not sure I 100-percent believe the protagonist's insistence on pursuing an erotic and romantic connection to a cipher of a man he knows to be a coldblooded murderer, even though it is interesting in theory and results in several disturbing, tense moments. I wonder if the crux of the film is the fact he would rather sleep with the devil with a handsome face and a tight body than have a more complicated and profound relationship with the heavyset older man with whom he shares warm conversation.

Oh, and I have no significant problem with the abrupt ending. It is of a piece with the overall story of a man prioritizing desire over justice and self-preservation. As I said above, I cannot entirely wrap my head around what ultimate point the film is conveying (an indictment of male-beauty standards in the gay community? a more general exploration of isolation and self-destruction?), but I do not believe the ending undermines or clashes with what came before.