The 44th annual Reeling Film Festival is underway. Here’s a look at what I’ve watched this weekend. My two favorites were from Spain.
An Island Away from You (aka A una isla de ti, 2026, Spain). An English chef visits the Canary Islands to meet his best friend’s family. He falls for her divorced bisexual dad. The Islands make the perfect setting for a delightful romcom. The men’s initial arguments are forced. A subplot for some squabbling co-workers feels undercooked. But the leads have chemistry and charm. It’s been a minute since I’ve seen a romcom where I wanted the central pair to get together.
Before I Do (2026, U.S.). Five gay men attend a lakeside bachelor party. Will the best man confess his feelings for the groom? A respectable entry in the “messy gays at a party” genre. We even get Robin de Jesus who appeared in The Boys in the Band remake. But that story had quotable dialogue and high-stakes conflict. The handsome lads here are too level-headed to provide any fireworks.
The Black Ball (aka La Bola Negra, 2026, Spain). Three intertwining stories about gay heartache and the Spanish Civil War. A soldier falls in love with a prisoner in 1937. A rich boy is blackballed by an exclusive casino in 1932. A historian unearths family secrets in 2017. The tales are painted with broad brushstrokes and a healthy dose of outrage. What sets this apart from other sad gay period dramas is a thesis about recovering our lost queer history. We can’t fix the past. But remembering what was taken from us can help us build our future. The epic scope and starry cameos (Glenn Close! Penelope Cruz!) suggest La Bola Negra will be gunning for awards. It will have a limited release in cinemas this October before coming to Netflix on December 4.
(Header image is from La Bola Negra)
Body Blow (2025, Australia). A closeted cop sexually assaults a drug dealer. He’s caught on film and blackmailed. Filmmaker Dean Francis has explored the fallout from sexual assault in previous films. Here it is simply a device to get a heist plot in motion. The neo-noir story goes to even uglier places. The camp dialogue and Tom of Finland costumes ask us not to take it seriously. The results of this softcore-comedy-exploitation-thriller genre blend are oddly boring. It’s never as sexy, scary or funny as it wants to be. As one character states: “This drag’s a drag. I’m just not enjoying myself.”
Glitterbaited (2026, U.S.). A self-loathing bear agrees to help an anxious twunk (MVP Zach Schanne) speak to their mutual crush. This is the third queer adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac I’ve seen. It follows the basic story but misses some key ingredients. Cyrano is a poet and an empath. The protagonist here, Charles, is so self-absorbed that he never gets around to aiding his friend or understanding his crush. He simply mugs, shouts and whines. Watch The Half of It instead.
Loves Company (2026, U.S.). An out-of-work actor (Jack Plotnick) is rescued from a car wreck by an obsessive fan (Rachel Dratch). This was marketed as a parody of Stephen King’s Misery. The first half is less a parody than a beat-for-beat remake. The scattered second half searches for a new path, sampling elements of tragedy, farce and showbiz satire. Dratch and Plotnick give surprisingly grounded performances here. They commit to portraying two broken individuals seeking kindred spirits.
Reeling continues through September 27. You can read more of my reviews on The Avocado, Letterboxd and Serializd. My podcast, Rainbow Colored Glasses, can be found here.