This Irish Romance Film Analysis: Powerful LGBTQ+ Love Story Ignites Emotional Impact in Striking First Feature

This Dublin-set gen Z love story opens authentically, taking place on Halloween in the Irish capital where university young people are partying in an deserted location.

Rugby player the male lead (Adam Lunnon-Collery) is chatting up hopeful filmmaker the other lead (Liath Hannon); the dialogue is relaxed and meaningful, light-hearted and profound, like life.

“This is an act acting like an confident athlete,” says Jason.

We’ve just watched him facing teasing in the team area for sporting his pierced ears. It’s easy to virtually see his heart thumping in his chest during his conversation with Charlie, who is trans.

The Experience Through the Urban Landscape

The pair pass the evening drifting through the urban environment; they message a substance supplier to obtain fireworks not drugs and capture moments with a vintage recording equipment.

They face no interference from them. This film is tender and charming up to a surprising disclosure – a turn that will require a strong challenge of your ability to suspend disbelief, coming close on awkward.

Presence and Realism Save the Narrative

Yet the magnetism and lovely authentic delivery of acting from fresh faces the lead actor and the co-star carries it off. Lunnon-Collery is particularly strong as his character, radiating friendliness and likability on the surface.

Credit is due to the script by debut filmmaker Donncha Gilmore, which gets more interesting as the film progresses, introducing ideas about remorse and the fallibility of the past.

Self-Image and Remorse

Jason gets a shake to his view of himself: his certainty in himself as the nice person, a friend to the needy. He goes through a surge of embarrassment over a situation from his past, occurrences that he has altered in his recollection to reduce the pain.

An impressive first film.