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On this page: BARRIO BOY | DRAINED

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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL | Last update 19.Feb.25

Barrio Boy
Review by Rich Cline | 3/5

dir-scr Dennis Shinners
prd Crystal McIntosh, Dennis Shinners
with Dennis Garcia, James Physick, Keet Davis, Pierre Jean Gonzalez, Manny Urena, Michael Borrelli, Caitlin Mehner, Nancy Ticotin, Teresa Yenque, Andrea Morales, Lou Liberatore, Cedric Leiba Jr
release UK 21.Feb.25
23/US 1h20

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Warm and intimate, this drama is set subculture, focussing on rhythms and attitudes rather than setting out a clearly defined plot. Expanding his 2015 short, writer-director Dennis Shinners is clearly working on a small budget, but the film is shot and edited with an artful eye, including some inventive visual flourishes. The storytelling is light-handed and elusive, but the film is full of big emotions and authentic interaction.

In Brooklyn, Quique (Garcia) is a handsome young barber who sticks quietly to himself in his Latino community, secretly having casual hookups with other guys. But this doesn't escape the notice of his closest friends: fellow barber Rafa (Gonzalez), lively goofball Jorge (Urena) and especially thuggish bigot Cuz (Davis). Then Quique meets a new neighbour from Ireland, Kevin (Physick), and they begin to hang out. This of course sparks some rumours that spiral around Quique, pushing him into a corner. And while Rafa is understanding, Cuz becomes increasingly menacing.

Anecdotal in structure, the narrative is constructed of a series of little scenes that depict the textures of Quique's life and his connections to various people, including his mother (Ticotin) and grandmother (Yenque). This approach makes the story feel somewhat fragmented. And the oblique camerawork and editing create scenes that are filtered through Quique's deep-seated fear about being found out, leaving the film looking slightly unfinished.

That said, the strongly contained performances give each scene a proper kick, as the actors create natural rhythms. Garcia has a simmering charisma that adds insight to his various connections, especially Gonzalez's big-hearted Rafa. And while Kevin is oddly sidelined, Physick brings him to life with sparky energy. All of this feeds into terrific conversations that touch on the problem of endemic homophobia in certain communities where people feel that they have no choice but to hide themselves.

There's a sense that Shinners is trying a bit too hard to include aspects of gay life into the plot, such as Rafa offering to take Quique to a clinic for an HIV test, a sequence that never goes deeper. But he's also exploring a serious issue that few films are willing to approach with this much honesty. So the movie has a lot to say about the Latin American subculture in New York, without ever preaching. And it's engaging enough to offer a glimmer of hope.

themes, language, violence, sexuality 18.Feb.25

Drained
Review by Rich Cline | 3/5

dir Sean Cronin, Peter Stylianou
scr Peter Stylianou
prd Daniel Patrick Vaughan, Sean Cronin, Peter Stylianou
with Ruaridh Aldington, Madalina Bellariu Ion, Craig Conway, Angela Dixon, Andrew Lee Potts, Natasha Patel, Andrew Lyle-Pinnock, Matteo Pasquini, Kenton Lloyd Morgan, Timothy Blore, Ayvianna Snow, Christopher Sherwood
release US 28.Jan.25,
UK 14.Feb.25
24/UK 1h47

Is it streaming?

Looking far slicker than its micro budget, this British vampire thriller features a terrific mix of heightened emotion and intense grisliness. And while it has rather dreary pacing, the film holds the interest with its darkly involving plot and internalised performances. Filmmakers Sean Cronin and Peter Stylianou could have tightened up the edit, but this is an effectively nasty thriller with a moving undercurrent about obsessive romance.

Aspiring artist Thomas (Aldington) is living with his mum (Dixon) when her new boyfriend (Conway) throws him out. At his friend's (Lyle-Pinnock) bar, he meets Rhea (Ion), a seductive woman straight from one of his drawings. Even though she would rather bite his arm than do anything else, Thomas is quickly addicted to her. The problem is that Rhea is literally draining his life, just as it becomes imperative that he finds some paid work. Meanwhile, a pair of cops (Patel and Potts) are trying to work out why bodies are beginning to pile up.

Inventively using creepy lighting and grotesque imagery to amp up the atmosphere, the filmmakers have a lot of fun developing physical and emotional intensity. The bond between Thomas and Rhea goes both ways, and each of them has outrageous reactions when they're apart. This may not make much sense narratively, but it adds a kick of nuttiness that pulls us in further, even if it's flatly obvious where all of this is headed.

The actors are deeply committed, creating characters who are thoughtful and compulsive. Aldington is a likeable puppy-dog, especially when Thomas is mopey and doughy in the earlier scenes, before Rhea transforms Thomas into a leaner, meaner slacker. Ion is superb as the terrifyingly manipulative vixen, while also revealing some secret insecurity. So even if they are an odd couple, their chemistry is intriguing. And it's deliberately frustrating that the lustiness never pays off.

More annoying is the way everything is staged in slow motion, draining the film of energy. Scenes drag on, including entire sequences and subplots that could be deleted without weakening the story. Even more bizarre is the way the movie steals its own thunder by playing ace cards far too soon, undercutting most shocks and surprise twists. That said, the film is still relentlessly entertaining, largely because the actors are so strong. And it's eye-popping to look at, gorgeous and gruesome at the same time.

themes, language, violence, sexuality 13.Feb.25

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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL