Writer and Director: Benjamin Howard
It’s always good to have such a film as Riley at the BFI LGBTQIA+ Film Festival. The story of a young athlete coming to terms with his sexuality is a crowd-pleaser, especially when the camera lingers on pecs and abs as sensually and sexily as this coming-of-age story by Benjamin Howard, based on his own teenage years. However, the narrative of a confused teenager with an overbearing father is just too familiar for this film to stand out after the festival season has finished.
Jake Holley – all sinew and muscle – is Dakota Riley, a young man in his last year at school. An outstanding footballer, he’s looking to pursue his career in the sport by going to university and then hopefully turning pro. Dakota’s father would have been a legend on the football field if an injury to his shoulder hadn’t scuppered his dreams. Dakota wants to emulate his father who now is the coach on the school team.
Dakota takes his training seriously, rising before dawn to pump iron with Jaeden (Colin McCalla), his school friend, who is staying with him after an argument with his mother. At night-time, while Jaeden sleeps on the floor, Dakota scrolls through his social media apps which are full of muscley men. Jaeden’s own body – he both trains and sleeps bare-chested – is also a distraction for Dakota. He wonders if their bromance could ever develop into something more meaningful.
Under Jaeden’s influence, Dakota realises that he has to become one of the guys and so hooks up with Skylar (Riley Quinn Scott). When he takes Skylar to a scenic view, it is she who suggests that he kiss her and it is she who initiates the first move in his car a few days later, unbuckling his belt while he mentally scrolls through his archive of male chests and biceps. Their liaison, like the one after in a hot tub, is a disaster, but still Skylar hopes.
In an update to the classic coming-out story, writer/director Benjamin Howard gives Dakota possibilities to explore his queerness. Riley is set in the 2020s after all. Liam, a fellow pupil is out at school, but although he is a confident queer man, standing up against homophobia, there is something manipulative about him, and his insight into Dakota’s problems is unsettling. Nevertheless, he’s nicer than the jaded man Dakota meets through Grindr. Neither of these men reflects the same-sex desire that Dakota experiences. Engaging with these men, either through sex or conversation, only leads to further feelings of loneliness for Dakota.
Holley is excellent at portraying teen angst – all tears and hormones – and his scenes with McCalla’s Jaeden are played with a fine, on-the-edge intensity. Their performances ensure that although the narrative follows a tried and tested route, Riley is still an interesting watch and is an impressively shot feature debut for Howard.
Riley is screening at BFI Flare 2024 from 13-24 March.
