Riley (2023)

Riley

• Hey look, a film about a guy struggling with his sexuality, figuring himself out, and coping with his environment, and he has the same name as me! Wow, doesn’t sound relatable at all! Of course, as I’m writing this, I’ve figured myself out and am very confident in my life and sexuality. But I did relate to most of this film, especially since it takes place during high school and it’s all about internal struggles. That’s basically a good summary of the plot, which is written decently. It follows the classic topic and journey of dealing with one’s sexuality and how to navigate life, school, and friends. The dialogue sounded like it was written by a 40 year old trying to relate to teens. It’s a bit over the top sometimes, but it does match modern slang. But besides the dialogue, the story takes many relatable turns and does a good job of portraying the subject matter in a public school setting. I grew up in public school and have only been out of it for a few years, and they get a lot of stuff right, at least in my eyes. They hit the nail on the head when it comes to internalized (and externalized) homophobia, and trying to fit under a label (or not having a label). Now I don’t have a sports background, like the film’s version of Riley does, but still, everything is well done. I thoroughly enjoyed Jake Holley’s performance, which is one of my favorite queer performances I’ve seen recently. He’s able to portray so much pain and angst just from his eyes alone, and then when you throw his body mannerisms and line deliveries on top of that, he does a stellar job. Also, shout out to pre-Heated Rivalry Connor Storrie, one of the handsomest men in the world. Both Storrie and Holley give a masterclass in acting. A lot of the other elements of the film are just mediocre (such as the score and visuals), but the story and cast really carry this. I would recommend it if you’re a drama/coming-of-age fan. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!