Category: Dating

Multiple characters intersect in the new eight-part British anthology series ‘Patterns’

There’s something for everyone in Patterns, an exciting new British anthology series.

Like a cross between Sex Education and Black Mirror, each episode of Patterns tells a full self-contained story, but they all take place in the same universe. A minor character in one episode may reappear as the lead in another and vice-versa. It’s an ambitious format, playfully executed by director Rex Glensy and writers Daniel Mannheim and Asad Moghal.

Stories include Reverse Catfish, about a hot young rugby player who finds that people only date him for his good looks and sets about trying to change their perception. SuperBen follows an imaginative boy who gets up close and personal with his superhero crush. Delivered is about a hungry young man on an oppressive diet who becomes unusually obsessed with his pizza delivery guy. And there are many more episodes where those came from.

Catch up on all the action in this charming and refreshingly sex-positive new comedy series. The full first season of Patterns is available now on Dekkoo and a second season is currently in the works! Watch the trailer below.

Short Film Spotlight: Peer

Filmed in Ocean City, Maryland, writer-director Marlon Wallace’s new 19-minute short Peer tells a quick, heartfelt story about a beachside romance.

Eli Johnson stars as Harold, a timid young man who takes a late-summer vacation with his best girlfriend Maritza, played by Daniela Cruz. Harold enjoys his time on the boardwalk, but he’s never actually been to the beach before. His intense fear of drowning – and recurring nightmares – keep him far away from the ocean.

When the pair are approached by Vincent and Arthur (Jared Anthony and Tommy Watson) a cute pair of local lifeguard buddies, they end up coupling off. After learning about his phobia, Vincent makes it his mission to ease Harold’s fears, teach him to swim and help him learn to enjoy all the magic a beach town has to offer. Harold, however, has to decide whether this adorable new love interest is worth all the anxiety.

With a touching script, beautiful cinematography and refreshingly naturalistic performances, Peer shows how the power of love can conquer even the deepest fears.

Watch the trailer for Peer below. The full short film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: A Pipe Dream

Plans for a casual Grindr hook-up go horribly wrong in A Pipe Dream, a unabashedly scatological 8-minute comedy from writer-director-star Ethan Wayne Smith.

The film follows an attractive young student (Smith) living in a cramped New York apartment with a very messy, nightmare roommate.

After making plans to meet up with a charming top from his past, he rushes off to their shared-space bathroom to prepare – not expecting to be thwarted at every turn by unfortunate happenstance.

Not for the squeamish, A Pipe Dream will make you laugh while you squirm in your seat.

Watch the trailer for A Pipe Dream below. The full short film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Cicada is a feast for the eyes as well as the heart

Co-written by Matthew Fifer and Sheldon D. Brown, who also star in the film, the must-see new indie comedy-drama Cicada examines inter-racial relationships, bisexual identity and sexual abuse while also exploring the intricacies of falling in love and how that can go hand-in-hand with uncovering uncomfortable truths about one’s self along the way.

Fifer, who also co-directs with Kieran Mulcare, stars as Ben a young bisexual man who, after a string of unsuccessful encounrers with women, decides it’s time to go “back on the dick.” He soon develops an intense relationship with Sam (Brown), a man of color struggling with deep wounds. As their summer romance progresses and their intimacy grows, Ben’s past begins crawling to the surface – putting the pair’s still-burgeoning love affair in jeopardy.

Co-starring Cobie Smulders, David Burtka and SNL breakout star Bowen Yang, Cicada is easily one of the most acclaimed gay films of the past several years. Vogue said that it “will stay with you long after the credits roll.” And The Jam Report called it “one of the most beautifully-crafted pieces of queer cinema of recent times.” We firmly agree with both assessments.

Watch the trailer for Cicada below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.