In "The Boy I Haye" Samantha and Steven are supposed to be driving to New York City for her best friend Renee's wedding. At the last minute, Steven bails, claiming he has to work-when in reality, he's cheating on her. With no choice, Renee arranges for Sam to make the trip with her older brother Tristan, a man Samantha has secretly had a crush on most of her life and even shared a one-night stand with as a teenager.
To protect her friendship, Samantha has always denied having feelings for Tristan, since Renee believed most girls only befriended her because of her handsome brother. Now, after five years apart, Tristan shows up at Sam's door to ride cross-country with her and deliver her sculpture to the wedding.
The drama kicks in when Samantha stops to confront Steven (played by Jacob Schwab) and catches him in the act. Tristan, portrayed brilliantly by Leif Offerdahl, steps in and delivers a satisfying punch to Steven for cheating.
What follows is a heartfelt road trip filled with emotion-lost love, rekindled bonds, moments of hatred, and incredible tenderness. I have to say, Leif is phenomenal here. I haven't seen this much gentle vulnerability in a performance in a long time. Elise Luthman also shines, and together their chemistry carries the film beautifully.
I don't want to spoil anything else, but I can honestly give this a 10 out of 10. The storytelling is rich, and I could easily imagine this film airing on a primetime network or even making it to theaters. Leif Offerdahl is a star in the making-no doubt about it.
Watch it. It's a beautiful movie.
