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On this page: DEPARTURES | DRIVE BACK HOME | A NIGHT LIKE THIS

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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL | Last update 6.Apr.25

Departures
Review by Rich Cline | 4/5

dir Neil Ely, Lloyd Eyre-Morgan
scr Lloyd Eyre-Morgan
prd Neil Ely, Lloyd Eyre-Morgan, Paul Mortlock
with Lloyd Eyre-Morgan, David Tag, Liam Boyle, Lorraine Stanley, Kerry Howard, Olly Rhodes, Jacob Partali, Saira Choudhry, Tyler Conti, Kimberly Hart-Simpson, Ali Afzal, Jake Haymes
release UK Mar.25 flare
25/UK 1h22

Is it streaming?

Warm and engaging, with some sharply pointed edges, this British drama plays out as a kaleidoscopic essay looking back at a relationship that was never quite right from the start. Clever writing and acting creates characters who are likeable and unusually complex, offering surprising points of resonance throughout the non-chronological narrative. It's also beautifully shot and edited, and the cast is anchored ably by sparky actor-filmmaker Lloyd Eyre-Morgan.

In Manchester, Benji (Eyre-Morgan) is looking back at his 18-month relationship with the too-gorgeous Jake (Tag), including their meet-cute on a trip to Amsterdam. But this is certainly not a normal relationship. Refusing to admit that he's gay, Jake is very private about his life back home, and he won't see Benji in England. So they make monthly romantic trips to Amsterdam together, linked to Jake's work. It becomes increasingly difficult for Benji to keep things casual, and when his laddish best pal Ryan (Conti) visits Amsterdam and meets Jake, the facade begins to crumble.

As he reminisces about these experiences, Benji also looks back at his childhood (played by Rhodes as a teen) with his mum (Stanley) and raucous Auntie Jackie (Howard). And he also imagines a young Jake (Partali) too. In fact, many of his memories are infused with fantasies about how he wishes things had happened, or where he hopes things had gone. All of this takes us deeply into Benji's perspective, which makes each memory powerfully involving.

With a performance that's both offhanded and intensely honest, Eyre-Morgan makes Benji thoroughly likeable, even as he makes some seriously dodgy decisions. But it's clear his (broken) heart is in the right place. Tag's Jake is also charming, seen through Benji's eyes as the dream man, even with his hot-and-cold behaviour. But then, he's the first guy who ever said something positive about Benji's body. Also telling is Benji's cuddly non-sexual connection with a hookup played by Boyle.

This energetic film has quite a bit of aggressive lustiness, as Benji and Jake indulge in all kinds of kinks, veering from teen-girl fantasies to seedy clubs, plus a sex-and-drugs montage reminiscent of Trainspotting. The central point is that Benji knows he's attracted to toxic guys, so he's aware that he needs a change. But giving up the idea of Jake isn't easy. "I can't just walk away," he says. Indeed, he needs to look back in order to move forward.

themes, language, violence, sexuality 22.Mar.25 flare

Drive Back Home
Review by Rich Cline | 4/5

dir-scr Michael Clowater
prd Madison Falle, Brian Mason, William Woods
with Alan Cumming, Charlie Creed-Miles, Clare Coulter, Sprague Grayden, Gray Powell, Alexandre Bourgeois, Anthony Jones Nestoras, Guy Sprung, Deborah Tennant, Daniel Beirne, Gord Rand, Judah Davidson
release Can 6.Dec.24,
US Jan.25 psiff,
UK Mar.25 flare
24/Canada 1h43

Is it streaming?

Based on a true story from a time in Canada when men were imprisoned for being gay, this film bristles with dark humour in a story that involves brothers and entrenched societal homophobia. Writer-director Michael Clowater and his cast fill the screen with sparky attitude and offbeat character touches that are both funny and honest. It's a lively, entertaining movie that cleverly uses its period to explore present-day attitudes.

In 1970 New Brunswick, Adelaide (Coulter) and her sons Weldon (Creed-Miles) and Moses (Powell) have just buried her husband when they get a call from Toronto: estranged brother Perley (Cumming) has been arrested for public indecency. Adelaide insists that Weldon drives a thousand miles to bail him out and bring him home. And Weldon is not allowed to refuse. When he arrives at the police station, Weldon can barely speak to Perley. And tension only grows between them as they have a series of momentous adventures along the road. But they also remember their connection.

Adelaide insists that they can't turn their backs on Perley no matter what he has done, calling out both Weldon and Moses on their anger toward him. Flickers of flashbacks reveal events from the past that sparked the family rift, and when the while story comes together it injects a powerful blast of emotion alongside the steely humour. Scenes play out with unexpected twists, underscored by a lynch-mob mentality that infects society.

Cumming makes Perley cheerfully awkward, chatting about things Weldon has no interest in. So it's no wonder Perley feels like his late dog is the only person who ever cared about him. By contrast, Creed-Miles plays Wedon as perpetually annoyed, but there's a strong brotherly bond between them, which is explored in their dialog as well as the history between them, which they literally carry as scars every day.

Because everyone in this family is incapable of talking about the subject, no one will admit that Perley is gay. This allows old prejudices to simmer under the surface. So Perley has to explain that no one turned him "this way", and he doesn't need forgiveness: it is simply who he is. This is something Weldon is only beginning to understand, but he knows he loves his brother. And the feeling is mutual.

themes, language, violence, sexuality 26.Mar.25

A Night Like This
Review by Rich Cline | 3/5

dir Liam Calvert
scr-prd Diego Scerrati
with Alexander Lincoln, Jack Brett Anderson, Jimmy Ericson, David Bradley, Beth Rylance, Kane Surry, Sam Jochim, Harriet Olivia-Wilson, Rizwan Khan, Eloise Rouse
release UK Mar.25 flare
25/UK 1h37

Is it streaming?

Because this film is so beautifully shot in locations around London, it doesn't really matter that the city's geography is fantastical, as are two major coincidences in the plot. It centres on lonely people at the end of their rope who intersect over one fateful night. Ideas rippling through Diego Scerrati's script hold the interest, while director Liam Calvert maintains a warm, intimate tone that balances the overpacked dialog.

As he considers ending his life, aspiring German actor Lukas (Anderson) runs into hyperactive, guitar-toting Oliver (Lincoln). As they hit the streets, they find common ground in their despair. Although Lukas' haunting worries are darker than the wealthy Oliver's fear of losing his nightclub after his father's death. Along the way, the urchin Daniel (Ericson) robs them when they help him. And bar owner John (Bradley) encourages Oliver to pursue his dream of singing country music. The question is whether, as the sun rises, anything will have improved for them, aside from finding each other.

Lukas outs himself as gay right at the start, and it's no surprise when the more cagey Oliver begins to show some interest. This allows some charming chemistry to quietly gurgle up between them, augmented by the disparity between the relentlessly chattery Oliver, who simply bulldozes the contained, gloomy Lukas. Both Lincoln and Anderson nicely catch underlying thoughts and feelings that make them easy to identify with, even as their conversation veers jarringly from one topic to the next.

It's very easy to see that they are hanging out because neither wants to be alone on this particular night. Less convincing is the way the screenplay deliberately pushes them along the way, because each encounter is so pointed that it feels far too convenient. And everything hinges on multiple instances of accidentally running into someone, far against the odds. This makes several scenes feel arch and over-constructed, no matter how finely played they are.

Thankfully, the actors and lushly photographed visuals keep the film involving, even when we flinch at a sudden plot point or overplayed moment. The dialog features several impassioned speeches along the way, asking important questions about ambition, expectations and past traumas as witnessed in flickers of Lukas' harrowing flashbacks. And in the end, it's a nice reminder to reach out and remind others that they're not alone.

themes, language, violence 28.Mar.25 flare

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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL