Fire Island – A Fresh Summer Romcom (Early Review)

Representation matters as pop culture continues to catch up with film and television telling more diverse stories representing a spectrum that is more reflective of today’s society, be it race or sexual orientation. The trailer for BROS, a major studio LGBT romcom was recently released but there is another major film releasing before that. Fire Island is another studio LGBT romcom from Searchlight Pictures hitting Hulu in the US and Disney Plus everywhere else. This perfect summer film delivers a modern twist on a Jane Austen type tale that just happens to feature gay characters though the film is not defined by that. In what easily could have been a quippy tokenism fest, the film instead tells a human story above all else which was easier to connect to on an emotional level. While it may not all work as some of its characters are utilized better than others, it is still an experience that is sure to resonate. Not only does it have plenty of heart and heartwarming moments of camaraderie, it is also often hilarious. That being said, it won’t be for everyone.

Fire Island follows a group of friends whose lives may have gone in different directions over the years but they still make a yearly pilgrimage to the titular island for a week of drinking and hooking up among other things for what may very well be the last time. At the core of the group of friends were best friends Noah (Booster) and Howie (Yang) who were at the forefront as they took this latest trip as a means to mend their relationship. Noah believed the cure for the reserved Howie’s issues was to get him laid above his own needs. Though the group of friends may not come from means, they made the best of it and had each other. Times have clearly changed and they certainly weren’t getting any younger. That evolution of the island through the lens of the evolution of the friends’ relationship during that same period of time was compelling to watch as they tried to fit in on today’s island with visitors much younger and privileged than them.

Noah and Howie and the rest of their friends’ circumstances were tough. However, their fortunes appeared to change upon meeting another group of friends with a man named Charlie (James Scully) catching the eye of the latter. Ultimately, they were intertwined whether they wanted to be or not. Little did Noah know, Charlie had just as caring a friend behind him, a rich lawyer named Will (Ricamora). While Noah and Will may have a lot in common, they were still apprehensive of one another and their intentions for their respective best friends.

In spite of Howie and Charlie’s blossoming relationship, Noah and Will continued to micromanage their friends’ lives as a means of protecting them but they were merely projecting their own insecurities on them. At the end of the day, something had to give as far as Howie and Charlie and Noah and Will were concerned. The gap between the latter pair mended as they got to learn more about one another as they ironed out their own issues and explored each other’s baggage. Coming from different means, they perhaps had more in common than they may have realized. While getting to that realization did not come without some adversity, that journey was fun to watch. 

Focusing on Noah and Howie and Charlie and Will, the other characters of Fire Island kind of get left out for the most part. Despite that, they still had their moments, showing some great moments of camaraderie and quips thanks to the cast’s dynamite chemistry across the board. From Luke (Matt Rogers), Keegan (Tomas Matos) and Max (Torian Miller) on one side to Cooper (Nick Adams), Dex (Dane Phillips), and Rhys (Michael Graceffa) on the other, the contrast in dynamics was interesting but that was pretty much it.

A big scene stealer was Cho as Erin, the owner of the home that had become a refuge for Noah, Howie, and their gang of friends and essentially became a mother figure to them. She was hilarious. The best part of the film was the superb performances from Booster, Yang, and Ricamora as Noah, Howie, and Will. Noah and Howie were the heart of the film as that relationship could be felt throughout. Meanwhile, Booster showed moments of leading man charm in the midst of everything else. Will’s compelling character arc worked solely due to Ricamora’s charm and range.

Just like the island itself, Fire Island is an experience and a blast.

still courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

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Where to watch Fire Island

Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.