Reviews

Whoa. I turned this on and thought, Okay, what am I watching? It's got that (well-made) Indie Film vibe so I was curious. The tone of the score was intriguing and the lead character was darkly fierce. It sets itself up to be pretty predictable but Lord Jesus, it's anything but!

It's got that 1-yard-line U-turn sixth-sense style twist. A slower pace, tricks you into being comfortable with what is happening.

It was a slow burn, but so worth it. The standouts were the lead girl, "C" played by Chelsea Smith, whose acting is super gritty, druggy, prostituty, with a dark bite to her, across from a self-conscious overweight gas station attendant love-interest, John, who lives with his mother, played by Matt Standley. His subtlety was honestly mesmerizing.

It's Indie. Put your indie mindset on. It's shot entirely with an iPhone which, once you watch you realize is just wild. It's a harsh loud story shown in the soft quiet way, throwing out only nuanced hints. It was like the suspense-thriller version of Napoleon Dynamite in that what-am-I-watching kind of way, where the Director took a shoestring budget, baked really twisted weird interesting characters into a story you think's been told a million times, and takes you on a ride that makes you want to watch it again once you're finished now that you get it.

Good job all!

Nick & Nicky! Oh my gosh, I can't WAIT for everyone to see this movie. This film is an old-timey murder mystery wrapped in a riddle. And by "riddle" I mean, high-end camp couture gay cult comedy classic! It's literally so much fun. I already want to watch this movie a million times.

At its core it's a murdery who-done-it keep-you-on-your-high-heels type investigation. The main character, Nick (Patrick Askin) is roped into solving the murder of his ex lover's lover and his soon-to-be (adorable) husband, Nicky (Ian Whitt) is not super keen on the idea at first.

But also, like, what murder? A lavish christmas party that only a wealthy gay New York City couple could pull off sets the stage for the over-the-top characters, clever writing, and old-fashioned romance that fills each well-thought-out scene throughout the movie. The first two-thirds of the movie is filled with camp, fashion, Sound of Music references, well-structured jawlines and well-written comedy that the actual murder almost feels secondary in the beginning (Though every once in a while, Boom! You're hit a blood-splattering plot twist).

And the characters: Trevor (Glen North), for example, whose lover was murdered, plays so perfectly over-the-top that it's hilarious. Is it gay camp over-the-top? Or is it exactly the way a 1930's movie damsel in despair would act? It's both and it's freakin brilliant. But the romance between Nick and Nicky is also so reminiscent of those old movies. It's unbreakable and sweet, but layered with the difficult gay-marriage climate of today (though not as difficult now, but still). And there are so many more; the newsie, the twins, the parents! (Oh my god, the parents, you guys), the old lady, the priest. There are many.

The last third of the movie jolts you into chandelier draped dinner party where the mystery of the murder starts to unravel. Thankfully, any murdery plot points you may have missed because you were (I was) chuckling about the funny way Nick holds a glass or the fallacious decor of a clueless old lady (I NEED to see this again), he sums it up while keeping you guessing.

It's an indie movie, and it's out and proud of it. Not unlike the cleverly well-written character-driven Emmy Award-winning show Schitt's Creek, Nick & Nicky was left alone to be what it is and we're so blessed because of it.

It's so much fun, and I can't wait for everyone to see this.