(2024, 97 min)
Country: U.S.
Director: Colby Holt, Sam Probst
Studio: VMI Releasing
Language: English
SYNOPSIS: When a small town wrestling star develops a crush on an openly gay classmate, he begins to be stalked by a grotesque creature that invades his thoughts, all the while struggling to live up to the standard set by his legacy-obsessed dad.
REVIEW:
High school wrestler Lee Fletcher (Jordan Doww) has been brought up by deeply religious parents and he’s desperate to keep his sexuality a secret from them. After growing close to openly gay classmate Kyle (Pablo Castelblanco), Lee struggles to keep his feelings buried and rumours start to circulate about him. As his battle to ignore his sexuality intensifies, Lee begins seeing a monster and he turns to a local pastor (David Koechner) for help.
‘Ganymede’ is from life and creative partners Colby Holt and Sam Probst, and it’s an exploration of the mental toll that staying in the closet can have on a young person. Lee’s struggle with his sexuality manifests as a grotesque demon that appears without warning and threatens to push him over the edge. The closer he gets to Kyle, the more he sees the monster and the more desperate he becomes as he tries to ‘correct’ his thoughts and feelings.
Coming to terms with your sexuality has long been a trope of LGBTQ+ cinema and with ‘Ganymede’, Holt and Probst attempt to do something a little different. There have been countless films of young men hiding their sexuality from their religious families but none (that I’ve seen anyway) have injected a horror edge into the mix. The monster that Lee sees reinforces the belief that homosexuality is wrong, something drummed into him by his God-fearing parents and the society around him.
Jordan Doww gives a compelling lead performance as Lee. He’s believable as a young man struggling with his sexuality, and he fosters a nice chemistry with Pablo Castelblanco as Kyle. The material here requires Doww to dig deep, and he does so with gusto. Castelblanco as the openly gay Kyle is strong too. He brings an emotional heart to the film as well as providing conflict for Lee as the two boys grow closer. David Koechner, best-known for his comedy work, gives a straight performance here and shows that he can pull off a dramatic role and be fairly menacing in the process.
‘Ganymede’ may not cover much new ground but it at least tries to do something different with a story that’s been told a thousand times over. The injection of horror certainly gives it something unique, and the lead actors provide the hook for the audience to invest their time. The film delivers a satisfying conclusion that feels earned, and the core audience will likely find a lot to enjoy.
-- Reviewed By Pip Ellwood-Hughes, Entertainment Focus (http://www.entertainment-focus.com/)
