Riley is the feature film debut from writer and director Benjamin Howard.

Starring Jake Holley as the titular character Dakota Riley, it’s a coming of age story about a high school footballer struggling to come to terms with his sexuality.

At a glance Riley seems like your typical jock archetype. He spends his time training, hanging out with his mostly shirtless bestie Jayden and courting Skylar, the girl next door. A strained relationship with his Dad sets the themes and undertones for the film. Despite having six college football scholarships under his belt, Riley needs to ‘cut out the Gen Z crap’ and focus on impressing the scouts.

What no one knows though, is that Riley is having a full on gay crisis. 

Riley delves into themes of friendship, sexuality and a dash of toxic masculinity. Arguably the best thing about Riley is the onscreen chemistry between Jake Holley and Colin McCalla as Jayden. They capture the high school teen angst perfectly. The bromance between the two is well fleshed out – literally. Riley’s lingering stares on Jayden’s abs are a feast for the eyes but are often quickly followed by a homophobic slur or two to avert any suspicions from his clueless friend.

There’s some poignant and particularly powerful scenes in Riley that make the character all the more relatable as the plot continues. Director Howard based Riley on his own experiences, ‘The hardest part of my coming out process was coming out to myself.’ And so, he captures the build up of pressure excellently from start to finish using his own authentic past.

As tensions rise in Riley’s life, it’s his friendship with Jayden that ultimately grounds him and the connection between the two teases the viewer all the way to the finish line. Barely concealed homoeroticism builds up to a sexually charged, profoundly intimate encounter between the two that will have your eyes glued to the screen. It’s hot, in a guys have feelings too sort of way. 

Look, it’s a classic trope but Riley is more than just a sports drama; it’s an exploration of identity and growing up that sees Riley come out to himself, rather than coming out to everyone else. It aims to leave its viewers feeling hopeful, even reflective of their own experiences. With its gripping storyline and captivating performances, this film is not to be missed.

Take a look here at some of our previous gay film reviews.

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