Ganymede

With its uninspired storyline, clichéd horror elements, and lackluster acting, "Ganymede" is a disappointingly mediocre and outdated addition to this year's LGBT film collection.

The film centers on Lee Fletcher, a sensitive high school athlete grappling with his conservative, Evangelical parents who impose traditional gender roles on him. Lee's poorly developed and rushed crush on his openly gay classmate, Kyle, is depicted through the bizarre and uninspired appearance of a literal gay demon. This attempt at incorporating "creepy" horror elements into an otherwise dull coming-of-age drama occasionally resembles a low-budget, cheesy Christian film. The predictable plot, shallow characterization, and awkward dialogue make the movie more cringeworthy than campy.

While films like Sam H. Freeman's intense gay thriller "Femme (2023)" suggest that higher standards for homoerotic cinema are emerging, "Ganymede" stands as a regrettable and, despite its surprisingly favorable reviews, overrated step backward.

One would think that with releases like Sam H. Freeman's harrowing gay thriller "Femme- (2023)", directors have sought to set a higher standard for homoerotic movies, but this film proves to be an unfortunate, and based on its suspiciously well-received reviews, an overrated setback.

This all-too-familiar tale about nutty christian homophobes and gay conversion therapy is well on the way to being a great little movie when it all goes horribly, hysterically wrong. It's the story of "Little Lee" Fletcher who is gay, but afflicted with a bible-bashing, fundamentalist father (Big Lee) and a psycho God-fearing mother right out of "Carrie". The film deftly negotiates Lee's budding romance with out-and-proud Kyle and his struggle to break free of his suffocating family. And it's particularly good at using horror tropes to represent just how torturous and damaging religious oppression can be. And in that respect it's rather better than the rather bland, lacklustre Boy Erased. But everything goes off the rails when Lee embarks on conversion therapy with the demented Pastor Royer, who, unbelievably, conducts electro-convulsive therapy in his church office! Now, while gay christians were often subjected to ECT, it was most definitely NOT conducted by pastors in their churches, Ganymede then hurtles toward a wildly over-the-top dramatic denouement that is either camp or just plain silly, depending on your point of view. A shame really, becasuse the film's first tow acts are not half bad. But all is lost in the third.

Colby Holt and Sam Probst's compelling motion picture is a true queer horror story. About a handsome kindhearted high school wrestling champion named Lee Fletcher, impressively played by Jordan Doww, who is a closeted gay teenage and constantly battles with his own sexuality to such a degree that he is emotionally and physically tormenting by visions of a grotesque demonic creature menacing him. Lee's sexual urges are completely unacceptable to his deeply religious homophobic parents, Big Lee and Floy, superbly played by Joe Chrest and Robyn and Lively, who do nothing to help him. Things become worse when Lee meets and develops a crush on an openly gay student, Kyle Culper, wonderfully played by Pablo Castelbanco in an endearing performance, who soon falls in love with him. Once Lee's parents catch wind of the attraction he has towards Kyle, they turn towards the church for help and remedies to cure their's son homosexuality which are horrific and brutal. Lee is near the breaking point as he struggles with his strong feelings towards Kyle, and the monstrous demonic creature that keeps haunting him. Solid direction by Holt and Probst, and marvelously acted by the entire cast, with an engrossing script by Colby Holt. This fine film is a mixture of Gothic horror and coming of age story that is extremely well made.

This movie does what a lot of coming out stories do not. It really highlights the struggle a lot of kids from religious families will go through when discovering their sexual identity. You will often see in these films the fear, betrayal, and hatred of others, but the self hatred, self doubt, and inner demons are so much more powerful than outside hatred. Even when the outside love and support is so vocal, the inner monologue can really drown these loving voices out. Great way to tell the story of kids that are so often forgotten about when we say things like "coming out isn't even a big deal anymore".

All this being said, the movie also has a lot of loving and light moments to it. Even some comedic aspects are thrown in, which are very much needed for such a sensitive topic.

The actors also understood their assignments. From super serious to very bubbly personalities, you get to see it all, and see how these types of people react to the gossip of someone coming out. Something for everyone to relate to in this movie.

I did not expect much when selecting this movie on Amazon prime but it really surprised me! "Ganymede" presents a compelling fusion of coming-of-age narrative with elements of mystery/horror. Jordan Doww delivers a powerful performance, effectively conveying the protagonist's internal conflict, complemented by a strong supporting role from Pablo Castelblanco. The directors demonstrate adept skill by using elements of horror to explore relevant social issues which are not widely known, notably motivated by religious extremism, next to the journey toward self-acceptance of the adolescences. Even though the movie is obviously fictional, I really liked that they explain at the end of the movie that gay conversion therapy is in fact a massive issue we face in today's society.