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Performances are earthy and real, finding brittle humour in the most awkward moments. And there are also very dark emotions that surge vividly. Birney has an open-handed honesty as a man who has been at war with himself for far too long. Moore echoes this as a young guy who hides behind his beefy exterior. Most intriguing is the way the actors develop a sense of connection between their characters. So they have a strong impact on each other.

Aaron speaks about how he feels empowered when he is asked to abuse men, because he's good at it. Hank speaks longingly about the ancient practice of pederasty. And he's eerily matter-of-fact about the abuse he suffered as a child. Both of these men are battling feelings of worthlessness in their own ways. As they open up to each other, the film becomes emotionally resonant, even if the meaning is obscured by elusive dialog and camerawork.

themes, language, violence, sexuality

12.Jun.26

Long-term relationships and frayed nerves give the actors plenty to play with, especially as each character grows increasingly arch amid hushed conversations about this sinister situation. Each actor adds some humour and underlying darkness to bring their role to life, so there are lots of textures even if they're not hugely nuanced. With a grand wink, Collins glides gracefully through each scene, the all-knowing diva who works out what's really going on.

The narrative is a hilariously tangled mess of clandestine connections and sneaky nastiness, with constant surprises that are blindly thrown in from left field. It's like an especially silly extended episode of a Murder She Wrote-style series that's deliberately undemanding and bereft of all subtext. That said, there's always some guilty pleasure to he had when we're watching greedy people engage in comically malevolent shenanigans.

themes, language, violence

15.Jun.26

"For a second, I forgot we were trapped," Blake says after their conversation turns deeply personal. Powell has a strong presence as the beefy Alex, who refuses to let Blake face their tormenter when the light comes on. Meanwhile, the likeably charismatic Batista navigates some swerving emotions as the angry, fearful, cocky and lovelorn Blake. Both performances are effective, even if the dialog and plotting make the characters and their reactions feel somewhat overstated.

It's fairly obvious that this situation isn't what it seems to be, and the growing sense of romance between these two very different guys isn't particularly convincing. Neither are the makeup effects. But the actors, and Lavan's restless camerawork, keep things intriguing. When we learn more, the motivation of the villain raises far bigger questions. This undermines the important themes running through the premise, leaving the film feeling more provocative than meaningful.

themes, language, violence, sexuality

11.Jun.26