New Release – Page 54 – Dekkoo Blog | Gay Movies, Series & LGBTQ+ Entertainment

Now Available: From Zero to I Love You

Pete (Darryl Stephens) has an unfortunate habit of beginning affairs with closeted married men. His father (Richard Lawson) and his soon-to-be step mom (Leslie Zemeckis) are on the hunt to find him someone who’s actually available and can settle down, but Pete’s relationships typically end because of his commitment issues. He moves on and the married men return to their families.

Jack (Scott Bailey) has a wife and two kids in the suburbs, but he’s been frequenting the gay bars of Philadelphia. When he meets Pete, the sparks start to fly. Jack promises to leave his wife, but Pete has heard that line many times before. Could this time possibly be different… for both of them? And how much destruction will they leave in their wake?

A gay romantic comedy that doesn’t shy away from exploring darker themes – closeted life, infidelity – From Zero to I Love You succeeds on the strength of its lead performances. Stephens and Bailey have an easy, believable chemistry that sells their weight of their relationship and its inherent difficulties.

From Zero to I Love You was written and directed by accomplished character actor Doug Spearman a veteran of the series Noah’s Arc (along with Stephens) and the same director behind the 2013 gay buddy cop comedy Hot Guys with Guns.

Watch the trailer for From Zero to I Love You below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: Griffica

A wildly inventive new short horror-comedy from writer-director C.J. Arellano, Griffica tells a story about a man whose new boyfriend may be a little too perfect.

When “The Narrator” (James Dolbeare) injures himself attempting a death drop in his apartment, his stunningly attractive neighbor comes to his rescue and soon becomes “The Boyfriend” (Ulyses Espinoza). The early days of their relationship are exceptional. This new beau attends to our lead’s every whim and need. He’s thoughtful, loving, confident, knowledgeable and, above all else, he makes a mean cup of iced coffee that “smells like lavender and world peace.”

Soon enough, this dream partner’s perfection begins grating on our narrator’s nerves. By contrast, he starts to only see his own inadequacies. A year into their relationship, things come to a dramatic head. When the narrator calls his brother to vent his frustrations, he learns about a demonic deity that bears striking similarities to his lover. Could Mr. Right have secretly been an agent of evil this whole time? And what is his master plan?

With visual flair, whip-smart writing and knowing nods to Rosemary’s Baby, Griffica is a delightfully twisted 11-minute short that marks C.J. Arellano as a director to watch. We could easily see him fleshing this film out into a full-length feature.

Watch a short trailer for Griffica below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

A loner and a star athlete form an unlikely bond at their Irish boarding school in the uplifting Handsome Devil

With bright red hair, a smart mouth and a penchant for sexually-ambiguous pop music, Ned, played by Fionn O’Shea, has always been bait for the bullies at his rugby-obsessed Irish boarding school.

Determined to keep a low profile and weather another year with minimal abuse, Ned is pleasantly surprised when he develops a special friendship with his dashing new roommate Conor, played by Nicholas Galitzine, a rugby virtuoso who shouldn’t have trouble fitting in, but harbors a few big secrets. Ned encourages Conor’s passion for music, but when their pursuits start to take Conor’s focus away from rugby, their friendship is discouraged by the administration.

A funny and observant coming-of-age tale from Irish novelist and filmmaker John Butler, Handsome Devil offers a touching reminder about the importance of loyalty, bravery and making sure that your voice, no matter how different, is heard.

A true heart-warmer, Handsome Devil earned raves from critics when it debuted back in 2017. The Observer called it “a warm, reassuring hug of a film that should be shown to every confused kid trying to piece together their identity.” Film Ireland called it “a satisfying examination of masculinity… presenting an encouraging message for teenagers to not be bound by stereotypes if it feels unnatural to them.”

Watch the trailer for Handsome Devil below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

Now Available: Let My People Go

A charming and hilarious fusion of gay romantic comedy, Jewish family drama and French bedroom farce, director Mikael Buch’s Let My People Go follows the travails and daydreams of a lovelorn young mail carrier named Ruben, played by “Call My Agent” and Knife+Heart star Nicolas Maury.

Though born and raised by a Jewish family in France, Ruben is now living out a fairytale fantasy with his gorgeous Nordic boyfriend in Finland – where he got his MA in “Comparative Sauna Cultures.” Unfortunately for him, a series of mishaps and a lovers’ quarrel exile the heartbroken Ruben back to Paris and his zany family just before Passover.

Now he’s stuck, forced to regress in the company of his ditzy mom, played by Almodovar goddess Carmen Maura, and his aging lothario father, played by Truffaut regular Jean-François Stévenin.

Co-scripted by Buch and renowned arthouse auteur Christophe Honoré, the writer-director behind Dans Paris, Love Songs and Sorry Angel, Let My People Go both celebrates and upends Jewish and gay stereotypes with wit, gusto and style to spare. The result is deeply heartwarming, fabulously kitschy and hysterically funny.

Watch the trailer for Let My People Go below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

Now Available: Enfant Terrible

When 22-year-old Rainer Werner Fassbinder stormed onto the stage of a small, progressive theatre in 1967 Munich and seized the production, nobody suspected that this brazen young rebel would go on to become one of the most important post-war German filmmakers. But that’s exactly what happened.

His immense catalog of work is still unparalleled. Fassbinder, who lived hard and died at the young age of 37, crammed no fewer than 40 feature films, two dozen plays and an epic 16-hour miniseries into his brief, but intense lifetime. Many of his films were breakout hits at the most renowned film festivals in the world and continue to both inspire and polarize audiences, critics and filmmakers today.

His open bisexuality, radical views and self-exploitation, as well as his longing for love, made him one of the most fascinating directors of all time.

Co-writer/director Oskar Roehler and lead actor Oliver Masucci bring the unabashedly queer iconoclast to life in Enfant Terrible – and it’s not always pretty. The film takes an unflinching look at some of Fassbinder’s wildest and most notorious moments, unafraid to examine them through a more contemporary lens, but never losing sight of what made him such a mad cinematic genius in the first place – albeit a highly controversial one.

Watch the trailer for Enfant Terrible below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

New Episodes of the Dekkoo Original Series Here Comes Your Man are Now Available!

A charming, funny, sexy and refreshingly realistic 5-episode Dekkoo Original Series from creator/director Omar Salas Zamora, Here Comes Your Man followed the relationship of two very different young men who tried to make love work, but hit many roadblocks along the way.

Now available, Season Two picks up post-break-up and follows our beloved leads Jordan (Calvin Picou) and Aaron (Jason Alan Clark) on their new separate adventures – along with some new and old friends who take center stage.

Aaron is navigating a new, but woefully causal relationship with cutie-pie Julio (Alessandro De Gennaro) – and trying to move it somewhere more serious. Jordan is elsewhere entirely. He’s settling into his new home in Omaha, Nebraska while looking to record his album. Meanwhile, Dustin (Matthew Namik) becomes entangled in an online romance while Cassie (Noelle Miller) reignites her romance with Malcolm (Clay von Carlowitz).

Watch the full trailer for the new season below! Both seasons of Here Comes Your Man are available now on Dekkoo!

Three teens enter a complicated love triangle in the queer high school classic Dare

Originally released in 2009, Dare is a romantic teen drama from director Adam Salky, based on his own acclaimed 2005 short film of the same name. Featuring an all-star cast, the film tells a captivating story about a group of high school seniors at the crossroads of their adult lives.

When a pompous young actor tells so-called “good girl” Alexa (Emmy Rossum) that she hasn’t really lived, she embarks on a bold journey that takes her into the arms of a mysterious bad boy Johnny (Zach Gilford). Envious, her shy best friend Ben (Ashley Springer) also dares to pursue Johnny, complicating Alexa’s romance and pushing the sexual and romantic boundaries among the three friends.

In addition to Emmy Rossum, Zach Gilford and Ashley Springer as the three leads, the cast of Dare also includes Ana Gasteyer, Sandra Bernhard, Alan Cumming and a young, pre-stardom Rooney Mara just before her A-list breakthrough in films like The Social Network and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

A critical hit at the time of its release, Newsday called Dare “one of the smartest and most honest teen movies in years.” The New York Times said the film is “at once more provocative and more contemplative than most of its big-screen counterparts.”

Watch the trailer for Dare below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

A neurotic filmmaker navigates love in the charming British rom-com Benjamin

Benjamin, written and directed by British comedian Simon Amstell, is a charmingly offbeat romantic comedy about a mess-of-a-filmmaker juggling the anxieties and excitement of his upcoming film premiere with the fear and awkwardness of a burgeoning romance.

Gangly and neurotic, and always ready with a self-defensive quip, indie film director Benjamin (Colin Morgan of The Happy Prince and Belfast) nervously prepares for the premiere of his sophomore feature when he meets and falls hard for Noah (Departure and Little Joe star Phénix Brossard), a confident and charming young French musician.

Will Benjamin’s insecurities and anxieties get in the way of success and happiness? Will his film be a critics-savaging disaster and he, a one-hit wonder? Amstell peppers this entertaining tale with hilariously deadpan one-liners and a scene-stealing cast of supporting characters including Joel Fry (Cruella, Game of Thrones, Our Flag Means Death) as Stephen, Benjamin’s manic-depressive stand-up comedian best friend; Jessica Raine as Billie, his unbearable publicist, Harry (Jack Rowan), his egocentric, bi lead actor; and Anna Chancellor (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Pride and Prejudice) as his patient producer.

A laugh-out-loud look at one man’s land mined road to success and love, Benjamin is a true must-see.

Watch the trailer for Benjamin below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

Here Comes Your Man is Coming Back June 23rd!

Season Two is now in the can and coming to Dekkoo subscribers on June 23rd! The new season picks up post-break-up and follows our beloved leads Jordan (Calvin Picou) and Aaron (Jason Alan Clark) on their new separate adventures – along with some new and old friends who take center stage.

Watch the full trailer for the new season below and mark your calendar! Here Comes Your Man returns June 23rd!

Pride Month Spotlight: Proud

In 1981, love was forbidden. In 1999, starting a family seemed impossible. By 2013, everything had changed.

From French filmmaker Philippe Faucon, the award-winning director behind Fatima, this amazing new three-part cinematic event takes us through each of these years.

Proud tells the stories of Charles (Frédéric Pierrot), Victor (Samuel Theis) and Diego (Julien Lopez), three generations of men, all from the same family, who represent the seismic social changes that took place within the LGBTQ community over the course of just three decades.

A three-part episodic cinema event, Proud offers up a chronology of tolerance and a portrait of one family through changing times. Cahiers du Cinema called it “one of the most exciting series of the year.” Le Parisien called it “A series that defends the fundamental rights of gay people.”

Watch the trailer for Proud below. All three installments are available now on Dekkoo.