Contents:
- GAY CHARACTERS DON’T NEED TO HOOK UP JT BEE THEY’RE GAY, HANDSOME DEVIL POTS OUT
- ‘HANDSOME DEVIL’ IS THE KD OF MOVIE JOHN HUGH WOULD’VE MA IF HE WERE IRISH, GAY, AND VERY INTO RUGBY
GAY CHARACTERS DON’T NEED TO HOOK UP JT BEE THEY’RE GAY, HANDSOME DEVIL POTS OUT
In my life, I have had many gay iends that I’ve never wanted to sleep wh, and who have never wanted to sleep wh me, and never felt like much of a sacrifice to eher party.
When me to makg my feature Handsome Devil, I was termed that the story would n along the tram l of a buddy edy, bee even if you believe both the young leads are gay, or not straight (by no means a certa thg, self), then the fullt exprsn of that iendship, of homosexual iendship, of any iendship is… iendship. Why n’t someone be gay a story like that? Leavg asi the hegemony of the romantic narrative of every hue, the buddy movie remas the least vigorated subgenre of all—sadly still powered more often than not by childish and rctive gay panic which, way more than beg offensive, is jt dreary.
If homosexualy is an inty, then only part (an important part, but only a part) of that inty revolv around sexual activy.
‘HANDSOME DEVIL’ IS THE KD OF MOVIE JOHN HUGH WOULD’VE MA IF HE WERE IRISH, GAY, AND VERY INTO RUGBY
So why n’t someone be gay a buddy edy? I loved the sensatnal Other People so much bee of the thentic, “felt” subplot of the iendship between John Early’s and Jse Plemons’ gay characters. I always accepted that this film would be known by those walkg to the cema as “the gay gby player film” and wrg a screenplay ’s val to know what rmatn isn’t yours to whhold.
What would a negative oute here offer that hadn’t already been offered by the bleak, trmatic gay narrativ of s past? Versns of many of the key elements Irish wrer-director John Butler’s Handsome Devil are faiar, om the geek pariah to the secret gay jock, the spiratnal English teacher to the homophobic gby ach, right down to the sports match as a tt of outsir self-affirmatn. A scrawny, self-styled 16-year-old rebel wh over-dyed red hair and a room rated wh David Bowie lyrics and Da Von Tee pups, Ned’s solary nature and ambiguo sexualy make him a target for gay slurs om his tribal classmat.
This warm and tenr Irish drama about homophobic bullyg a boardg school is simple and lighthearted on the surface, but the msage is no ls pertent and pellg - on Disney + UK on Friday, July 29th; also available on other platforms. The profoundly Catholic untry was the first one the world to legalise gay marriage by the means of popular vote, spe fierce opposn om the Church.