Jordan Firstman (left), Sebastián Silva (right) | Image credits: Getty Images

Park City, Utah is a very small mountain town. It is also the home of Sundance, the country’s largest and most renowned independent film festival. And, like in any small town, gossip travels fast here.

It’s no surprise, then, that in our first 24 hours on the snowy streets of Park City, we’ve already heard that the comedy starring Jordan Firstman rot in the sun featured male nudity and unsimulated sex acts – and that was before the film was even screened for the public!

Sure enough, on premiere night there was a lot more talk that the movie does indeed feature tons of naked men and a handful of explicit sex scenes, many of which include Firstman, the well-known gay actor and comedian for his viral Instagram Impressions.

We also heard that the movie was a funny, shocking, and thoughtful examination of modern gay men who hate themselves. Naturally, we had to check for ourselves.

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rot in the sun comes from Chilean gay filmmaker Sebastián Silva, a director who rose to prominence with transgressive comedies like naughty baby and tyrel. Here, Silva plays the role of himself, more or less – dissatisfied with his creativity and having suicidal thoughts while living in Mexico City.

Image Credit: “Rotting in the Sun”, Sundance Film Festival

Early on, Silva heads to the beach and wanders through a secluded enclave where gay men leave everything lying around, not hesitating to meet in the open air. It is here, in the first 15 minutes of the film, that the number of cocks increases significantly, with the camera lingering on each as they pass Silva.

It’s also here that we meet the character of Firstman – playing “Jordan Firstman” – and he’s also fully naked.

After an incident where the pair nearly drowned in the ocean, Firstman introduces himself to a still clearly shaken Silva, trying to both woo the director and cast him in a TV series based on the actor’s life. . It’s all very meta, especially considering rot in the sunThe story of (co-written by Pedro Peirano) was inspired by Firstman and Silva’s chance meeting in Mexico. In the movie, just life in real life, the two didn’t like each other very much at first.

It’s an incredibly daring role for Firstman, and not just because of a handful of scenes where he hooks up with guys on camera. The character is abrasive and selfish and, just like the real guy, has become known for his humorous Instagram videos which have proven to be quite divisive, especially among the queer community. Silva even tells him how silly his impressions are – yet another moment seemingly inspired by their real-life interactions.

Eventually, due to Firstman’s obnoxious persistence, Silva falls into a reluctant respect for the actor – or at least tolerates it – and their collaboration even results in surprising success. But, soon after, the film takes a surprising turn that we won’t spoil here, shifting the genres towards a thriller, of sorts, while retaining its dark sense of humor, and also giving away some of its spotlight to a third character: a housekeeper. named Vero, played by Los EspookysCatalina Saavedra.

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Ultimately, this riot feature becomes something surprisingly emotional as it interrogates Firstman’s own personality, as well as class, cis gay male privilege, and the role the internet plays in our lives. It’s a film far more complex than its reputation as “the one with all the male nudity.”

On that note, it’s still unclear if and when audiences outside of Sundance will be able to see rot in the sun– at least in this iteration. It’s hard to imagine such an explicit gay movie in theaters these days, and even the most open-minded streaming platform might have some hesitation without editing its most sinister scenes.

At this point, we don’t yet know what will happen to Silva and Firstman’s provocative odyssey, but it’s a riveting indie with a lot going on – and, yes, a lot of dicks – that we recommend. to keep an eye on.