Now Available: Beyond the Walls

From director David Lambert, Beyond the Walls is a wonderfully acted and taut romantic drama about two outsiders whose quick-moving affair faces some serious complications.

Paolo (Matila Malliarakis) is a gangly, long-haired man-boy, older than he looks. He lives with his stern, untrusting girlfriend, Anka (Melissa Desormeaux-Poulin) who is sure he will soon give in to his homosexual urges.

Rugged Albanian-immigrant bartender Ilir (Guillaume Gouix) works in a neighborhood bar. After a night of partying with friends, Ilir takes a drunken Paolo to his place to recover. A sexual relationship begins, but Paolo’s girl, tired of his infidelities, throws him out.

Now, the two young men slowly open up and begin an intense, romantic affair. When one is arrested for drug possession and imprisoned – and the other is tempted into a relationship with another man – the stress threatens their nascent love.

A serious drama about intimacy, separation, manipulation and trust, Beyond the Walls is made all the more remarkable by the two lead actors’ positively fearless performances.

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

New This Week – 7/22/22

Did you know that we have a weekly YouTube show called The Dekkoo Digest that discusses all the films added to Dekkoo that week. It’s a helpful guide to learn about the films we’re programming. Plus, our host Ross is cute as a button!

Check out the latest episode and be sure to visit out YouTube channel every Friday for new updates. Or, you can just check back here. We’ll be sure to link to them.

A conservative professor goes undercover as a gay man in the touching drama At the End of the Day

After losing his wife and counseling practice, the only thing 32-year-old Dave Hopper (Stephen Shane Martin) has going for himself is his part-time professorship at his alma mater, a growing Christian college. And the only reason he even got that job was because his previous professor, now ambitious dean, pulled a few strings.

The dean’s plans for growth hit a snag when the property he wants to develop has been promised to a gay support group – which has plans to open an LGBTQ+ homeless teen shelter if they can raise the money in time.

The Dean is forced to take drastic measures, offering Dave his dream job, but he only gets it if he goes undercover in the group as a gay man – the abomination he counsels against – and stops them from raising the funds needed to buy the property.

Dave reluctantly agrees, and for the first time, is met face-to-face with the community he has been battling his entire career. The awkward and emotional experiences that follow lead Dave on a journey of truth, revealing that life and love are not as black and white as he first thought.

Touching, inspiring and ultimately uplifting, At the End of the Day is a film that treats everyone with compassion and understanding.

Watch the trailer for At the End of the Day below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

You Are My Sunshine celebrates the power of one gay couple’s life-long romance

Taking place in two alternating time periods – the 1970s and modern day – You Are My Sunshine follows long-term partners Tom and Joe (played as younger men by Steve Salt and Jack Knight and as older men by Ernest Vernon and Charles O’Neill).

Joe, a shy young man living with his conservative father and his sister in Britain, meets the playful and charismatic Tom through work in the 1970s. There is an instant connection between the two young men. Tom’s confident personality helps Joe to come out of his shell. Meanwhile, the sudden visibility of queer rights activists starts to disturb Joe’s family. Even in the present day, though Joe and Tom have been together for decades, Joe’s sister still harbors major resentments when it comes to her brother’s sexuality.

As the younger versions of Joe and Tom worry about their love being discovered, the older versions are dealing with health issues and family strife. Through two powerful characters, writer-director David Hastings offers a message of how love and acceptance can change even the hardest of hearts.

Watch the trailer for You Are My Sunshine below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

New This Week – 7/15/22

When Paulo, a young pianist, meets Ilir, a bass player, they quickly fall in love. The pair soon end up living together, but when Ilir leaves town for a concert and ends up in jail, their relationship faces almost insurmountable obstacles. From prolific writer-director David Lambert, ‘Beyond the Walls’ is a heartbreaking examination of the thrills, sacrifices and disappointments of falling in love. Watch ‘Beyond the Walls’ on Dekkoo!

During a seaside vacation, ten-year-old Remi finds himself becoming increasingly fascinated by Stephane, the father of one of his friends. This confusing new feeling proves quite powerful. Nobody seems to know what Remi is going through…least of all his handsome new crush. ‘The Swimming Trunks’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

A conservative professor at a Christian college goes undercover, passing himself off as a gay man in order to stop the launch of a homeless shelter for LGBTQ youth in his small town. But as he gets closer to the local gay community, he sets out on a journey of truth and compassion, learning that life and love are not as black and white as he once thought. Stream ‘At the End of the Day’ 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.

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.

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.