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When people ask me what my favorite kind of movie is, I usually have some coy, canned response like, āThe genre doesnāt really matter, as long as itās good.ā
This is true, but in my heart of hearts, my favorite movie genre is probably the thriller. I simply love it when a sinister plot is unfolding.
So, it only seems natural for me to take my favorite genre and put a queer spin on it for my Pride Month series.
This weekās picks feature a capital M capital S Movie Starās controversial foray into the S&M-tinged New York gay scene, a serial killer mystery engulfing a troubled woman who directs gay porn, a modern meta thriller overflowing with suspense, the sexy neo-noir debut from an iconic directorial duo, and the greatest film by one of the greatest living filmmakers.
Letās dive inš
(Unless otherwise noted, all movies are available to rent from Apple, Amazon, etc. in addition to the listed streaming services. But if you watch them and like them, Iād consider buying physical copies š)
Double Feature: Cruising (1980) and Knife + Heart (2019)
Cruising is streaming on The Criterion Channel. Knife + Heart is streaming on AMC+, Shudder, and for free on Tubi, Prime Video/Freevee, and Kanopy.
A tumultuous production that was met with protests by the queer community upon its release, William Friedkinās Cruising exists at an interesting crossroads.
Set against New York Cityās S&M club scene at the end of the ā70s, it follows Steve Burns (Al Pacino), an undercover detective who outfits himself in a black tank top and leather to catch a serial killer.
When Friedkin completed his first cut of the film, it was slapped with an X rating and its distributor refused to release it. Film critics of the time werenāt very kind to it, either.
Viewed in a more modern context (and Iāve viewed it several times), itās hard not to get swept up in the sweaty, pulpy rhythm of it all. The leather bar scenes vibrate with energy, so much so that our buttoned-up detective seems to be drawn a little too much into his role.
If the premise was done as a play at shock value or exploitation, Friedkin did a little too good of a job at making it feel authentic and lived in. As Burns hones in on the killer, I canāt help but wish the camera would linger on the dance floor a little longer.
Until now, Iāve had an unspoken rule about repeating a movie recommendation. Yann Gonzalezās Knife + Heart pairs too perfectly with Cruising for me to follow my own rules.
The opening murder in Gonzalezās film is a riff on the same scene in Friedkinās, as a young gay man is tied up during a kinky bar rendevous that turns into a vicious stabbing.
Knife + Heart is also set in the ā70s, though Gonzalez hones in on the gay porn scene in Paris. The story is focused on a troubled director (Vanessa Paradis) whose latest production is upended by the grisly murders of her actors. With a pulsating score by M83, this is a dazzling, neon-tinged nightmare filled with images that are by turns beautiful, brutal, and sexy.
Other Movie Recommendations:
Beau travail (1999)- Streaming on The Criterion Channel and Max.
Perhaps the greatest film from French master Claire Denis, Beau travail is an emotionally stark yet sensual illustration of lust and power.
Adapting Herman Melvilleās novella Billy Budd, Sailor, Denis transposes the action to the Djibouti desert, where a domineering French Foreign Legion sergeant (Denis Lavant) becomes obsessed with a promising, muscular young trainee (GrĆ©goire Colin).
Denisā camera does a striking, foreboding dance of impending doom around these characters, a tango of repressed desire and unyielding power plays. The desert and the sea both threaten to swallow the characters whole at any moment.
Bound (1996)- Streaming on Paramount+.
Iām cheating againā¦ deal with it! This amazing debut feature from Lana and Lilly Wachowski is high on my list of thrillers, queer or otherwise.
Gina Gershon stars as Corky, a woman who interferes in the affairs of Violet (Jennifer Tilly) and Caesar (Joe Pantoliano), a couple in the apartment next door. When Corky and Violet become lovers and decide to scam Caesar out of millions of dollars of mob money, well, the mob gets involved too.
The apartment complex where much of the movie unfolds takes on a life of its own; its red elevator and hallway, bleached bathrooms, and paper-thin walls make this life-or-death love story as seductive as it is menacing.
Rotting in the Sun (2023)- Streaming on Mubi.
SebastiĆ”n Silvaās Rotting in the Sun begins as a meta comedy where the director plays a depressed version of himself who encounters the social media influencer Jordan Firstman (also playing what I hope is an obnoxiously heightened version of himself) on a gay nude beach in Mexico.
As you may glean from its inclusion on a list of āqueer thrillers,ā the movie takes quite a turn. I wouldnāt dare spoil it, but the handheld camera work gives Rotting in the Sun a cringe-inducing immediacy that enhances both the comedy and drama. Iād also be remiss if I didnāt single out the performance of Catalina Saavedra as Silvaās anxious, secret-keeping maid.
I think this weekās column has a little something for everyone, as long as you donāt mind sex, murder, manipulation, and other bad behavior š
If you have a favorite queer-centered thriller or an idea for a future column, the time has come to make your voice heard.