Barrio Boy

This is one of those frustrating movies that had everything needed to make it at very least an enjoyable way to pass an hour and twenty minutes but it just missed out on the very fundamental element of any good movie , a good script. The actors were all competent but they were totally held back by a bad script. There are lots of pointless scenes of cats in alleys and then the end of the story has to be related to a character so that we actually find out what did , or didn't happen. It had all the potential to be a much better movie and it could have been worse but it should have been a whole lot better. I don't like to s**t on a movie that a lot of people put a lot of time and effort into but I was very kind rating this a 7. Disappointing.

Unlike some of the other reviewers, I hadn't been aware that this is a full-length version of a short film of the same name. It wouldn't have changed my mind. I enjoyed the film a great deal.

What people forget us that not every community even in supposedly liberal countries is able to be at ease with deviations from societal norms. Knuckle dragging some of the characters might be, but there was enough growth in the story leading to an implicit acknowledgement of being gay at the end. And no one freaked! That's the real kernel of the story.

The cast was attractive, even the thugs. The acting was more than competent. The film had no sense of having been padded out from a short version; it stood on its own.

I'd say watch it.

Loved this beautiful film, which gave me a window into a corner of the NY LGBTQ+ experience I wasn't previously familiar with. Great storytelling, deeply authentic performances, and a clear love of New York made this film sing. In addition, I was deeply moved by the central storyline.

I think we are seeing trending LGBTQ+ stories currently that presume an ease with coming out. This has not been the experience of my community, and this film really spoke to a different connection to gay life in 2024.

We need more personal narratives brought to light in such thoughtful ways. Bravo! I've recommended it to multiple friends and family members.

Standing up to your own family can be a really hard thing to do. Especially when that family member is a violent one. And this movie is an excellent example of that. Quique lives in a neighborhood that screams toxic masculinity. Especially his criminal cousin, Cuz. A homophobic and violent drug dealer who makes his life harder than it should have been. It's a real life depiction of someone's struggle. That's what I like about this movie. The story was delivered with solid acting and decent plot. What I don't like is the ending. It's kind of disappointing, at least for me. The decision that Quique took was very disappointing, it's cowardice. And when he finally overcame his fears, it was already too late. If you wanna watch this movie, just be prepared for a lousy ending.

Where do I even start? I haven't been this chapped by a film in weeks! The trailer tricked me into thinking this was going to be a sweet love story about two dudes who find each other in the streets of NYC. What I got was an annoying DL dude who didn't have the courage to face himself or defend the person he loves, surrounded by some of the most insufferable characters I've ever seen in a film. Growing up in NYC myself, I was surrounded by these same types of knuckle-draggers that made my life difficult growing up. Seeing them in digital form just made me realize that the same feces slinging troglodytes that littered the city haven't changed, not one bit.

The acting was disjointed and no one really stood out for their ability, save for the Irish guy and "Jorge", and most of the dialogue sounded forced and grated on the ears. The aggression and manner of speaking of the drug dealer made me seriously consider turning off the film every time he spoke, and you know what? I really wish I should have.

For a gay film, barely any intimacy is shown, and the very few times it is, I think they used stunt doubles. So the men involved in this couldn't even be bothered to actually kiss on camera, let alone show any real emotion. It was the most glaring and offensive issue about this movie; hiring straight men to play gay characters. Had I known this beforehand, I wouldn't have even bothered watching this movie.

Then there's the ending. I mean, what in the living F was that about? I've seen some bad films in my many years of watching gay films, but that ending was literally one of the worst things I've ever seen in any genre of film. It was like the biggest middle finger a director could give his audience. In the age of amazing films like "Call Me By Your Name" and "Brokeback Mountain", this film should be embarrassed that it even exists.

I would have rated this much lower, but the character names Jorge really stood out to me for being the most authentic and the actor had the most talent in the whole cast. That alone made me rate the film what I did.

The rest of this film can be thrown in a pile with the rest of the gay films that can't be bothered to show the community the way it's meant to be shown, for the audience that is meant to see it.