Grind

"Grind" (2014) A short, musical film based on the Gay Hook-up App "Grindr". This short is very well done from an execution standpoint: good music and singers; good filming; good editing; good pacing; lots of pretty faces and bodies to look at; and really good acting (Anthony Rapp channels his inner "Sweeney Todd" deviously!). While light-hearted in many aspects, it touches on serious issues such as: gay-bashing; the lack of ability to personally connect in our digital age; the superficial and de-humanizing nature of on-line apps and hook-ups -- and the risks we all take when we use them. "You don't REALLY know who you are talking to" is a repeated refrain in this story.

Pros: Memorable and moving music, excellent singers, beautiful shots and sets, and a unique perspective on the dark psychology of psychopathy meeting modern fluid anonymity. You leave filled with questions and speculation.

Cons: Characters aren't fully realized and film would have benefited from more time to gesture at the contours of personality and relationships. Some plot points are slightly obscured in the editing for the version I saw. You leave filled with questions and speculation.

Because this deals with gay culture, with hook-up culture, and with technology-mediated communication, Grind does hit a lot of hot button issues and is bound to generate controversy. Ultimately, I was comfortable with the stylized depiction of these things as one angle by which to view these issues. The film does not adopt an authoritative or preachy position, and does not I think aspire to speak definitively as much as to paint one picture among many.