Directed by Andrew Ahn
Available to stream now on Hulu
Fire Island, a large center isle running parallel to the South shore of Long Island, NY, has been a popular mecca for gays and lesbians since the 1960's, a summertime getaway that would offer opportunities to live and celebrate openly which couldn't always be done in the city at the time. Now we have "Fire Island", a refreshingly audacious romantic-comedy involving a group of gay friends in search of fun, sun, sex and possibly even love. It stands out with it's racially diverse, mostly Asian cast as the leads, offering a welcome change of routine usually found in gay-themed comedies. Another reason "Fire Island" is such an anomaly is that a major studio (Searchlight, now owned by Disney) is actually behind this film that makes no attempt in appealing to anyone outside of the LGBTQ communities.
Joel Kim Booster, a stand-up comedian and writer, not only stars but has written the screenplay, crafting a charming, wild romp that manages to squeeze thoughtful conversations about social and racial issues in between the silly gags and romantic entanglements that is loosely based on Jane Austen's novel of class and manners, "Pride and Prejudice". Austen might seem to be an unlikely source of inspiration yet gay men certainly have established rituals, conventions and societal rules that tends to be closely followed in a queer enclave.
Oversleeping after a night of wild escapades, Noah (Booster) barely arrives on time to meet his friends on the ferry that will whisk them off to the Fire Island Pines. Noah's friends; the colorful, Luke (Matt Rogers), the flaming, Keegan (Tomás Matos), the practical, Max (Torian Miller) and his BFF, Howie (Bowen Yang) who has moved to LA but made the trip, are all ready for a week of debaucherous fun after they arrive at the house of their "mother", Erin (a welcome but underused, Margaret Cho) when she drops some bad news on them. Due to some bad financial decisions, Erin will have to sell her house, making this their last time in the Pines together.
The boys begin their first evening at the Blue Whale when Noah sees Howie making eyes at a handsome man across the room. He forces Howie to go meet Charlie (James Scully) who is with his own small group of friends which includes Will (Conrad Ricamora), looking like he would prefer to be anywhere but this club. Determined to get his shy friend laid, Noah vows not to connect with any boy until Howie does so first. This proves to be more of challenge than expected as Noah catches the attention of a sexy young man, Dex (Zane Phillips) while grocery shopping. And Noah starts to develop a complicated attraction to the aloof Will who is sending mixed messages; first Noah overhears Will criticizing him and his friends to Charlie yet also shows concern about him getting involved with Dex, implying he shouldn't be trusted.
"Fire Island" began as a series developed by Booster for Quibi, the short-lived streaming service that burned bright in April 2020 before it was snuffed out only eight months later. Booster later expanded the project into a feature film, attaching Andrew Ahn, who made an impression with his directorial debut, "Spa Night". While there is certainly a lusty nature to the film, this comedy surprisingly largely avoids raunch (and more shockingly, nudity), preferring to focus humorously on the bonds of long friendship and support between these gay men. But their frustrations with being considered outsiders in their own community are pointedly discussed, bringing attention to classism, body image and racial stereotypes that they have to contend with.
Romantic-comedies have long been appealing to many gay men who have easily been able to put themselves into the shoes of a lovely damsel in a comedic quest in search of a handsome hunk to swept her off her feet, rescuing her from a tragic life being single. But these days, we no longer have to use our imaginations with gays, lesbians and everybody in-between are able to openly tell their stories without coded references. Warm hearted and enjoyably breezy, "Fire Island" refreshingly displays the amusing and sometimes absurd practices involving love and romance between gay men, proudly without a thought over heteronormative frame of reference.
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