Judas Kiss

"Judas Kiss" is an amazingly well-made film that narrowly escapes being pretentious. There is great acting including Brent Corrigan's first major acting role, great editing, and an interesting plot.

The plot does quickly become complicated and runs the risk of being convoluted. However, the positives far outweigh the negatives of the film and offer an interesting counterpoint to many of the films that follow the typical formula of sex scene, bad dialogue, sex scene. In the end, it turns you on mentally as well as physically.

Zachary Wells (Charlie David) is a jaded LA "filmmaker" who has spent more time partying and in rehab than getting anywhere in his career. He returns to his alma mater Keystone University to be a film festival judge. While there, he quickly beds a student, played by Richard Harmon. Of course, the student is Danny Reyes the student primed to win the festival. The problem....Zachary Wells is also Danny Reyes. After years in LA and a need to run from his past, he's changed, but not for the better. Now, he has the chance to rebuild his life but will he make the right choice?

"Judas Kiss" doesn't just focus on the time travel aspect. It also gets sucked into film school drama. Danny and big man on campus Shane (Timo Descamps) and the loveable and innocent CW, played by Brent Corrigan, are caught up in a love triangle. Danny's friend Abbey (Julia Morizawa) also offers comic relief as his snarky fag-hag/producer. The film within the film becomes a catalyst for major life changes and intense relationship shifts. If Danny wins the festival he's set for life; if he doesn't he's cut off forever.

The acting is on-point. Charlie David has evolved past playing two-dimensional gay clich�s and plays a character with substance, depth and real drama. Richard Harmon is haunting as a young, shrewd guy who uses sex and manipulation as weapons to escape his past. Brent Corrigan is also amazing as a coy, innocent and deliciously dorky love interest. Also, the ability to successfully play out a plot involving time travel does warrant some points.

"Judas Kiss" is a deep insightful film that explores some of the shadows we run from as gay men and the toxic and self-destructive decisions we make that can change our lives for good. It also offers a different take on the clich� time travel idea of "If I could only go back" by positing that sometimes we need to turn and face consequences rather than run from our past. It's an entertaining film that makes you think without being too obtuse.

"Judas Kiss" opts for the cerebral rather than the sexual. It offers an insightful and thoughtful film that transcends genre and offers you everything but what you'd expect. With great acting and really meaty subtext it offers you much more than you might expect.

Screening At Reeling 30 ::
http://reelingfilmfestival.org/