City Hall (1996)

Is it just me or did other members of the LGBTQIA+ community also wish for a queer re-telling of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice or specifically a queer version of the 2005 film which is based on the famous novel? If so, director Andrew Ahn may just have made your wish come true. Being called a gay version of Austen’s classic, Fire Island, which was released recently on Hulu is a rom-com written by comedian Joel Kim Booster and directed by Andrew Ahn. It’s less dramatic and more comic in its tone as compared to Pride & Prejudice, but Fire Island has its fair share of romantic twists and turns. And if you’ve been following gay romances, you might be reminded of 2020’s Peter Paige directorial feature The Thing About Harry. Yes, that wasn’t technically a gay rom-com since one of the characters was pansexual but considering the romantic tribulations of the same-sex romance explored there, the films can be grouped together.

Fire Island follows a group of gay friends Noah (Joel Kim Booster), Howie (Bowen Yang), Luke (Matt Rogers), Max (Torian Miller) and Keegan (Tomás Matos) as they meet together for their annual trip to Fire Island. It’s an island close to Long Island, where they meet for a week of relaxing and having s*x. Noah refers to it as gay Disneyland. There are literally no straight people on the island during the week that they stay at the house of their host Erin (Margaret Cho) who is a lesbian herself. She tells them she may have to sell the house because she’s broke. Amidst the sorrow at that news, they try to make the most of their time at the island, with Noah promising to help Howie have a promiscuous time. That’s how they meet Charlie (James Scully) and Will (Conrad Ricamora), and their rich upper-class friends. The film shows the misadventures caused by the romantic repercussions of this meeting.

The Thing About Harry tells the story of Sam (Jake Borelli), an openly gay man as he drives to a friend’s engagement party with his high school bully Harry (Niko Terho). During the drive and their stay at a motel on their way to the party, Harry reveals that he’s pansexual and in fact used to have a crush on Sam. They bond deeply over the course of that night, only for Harry to abandon Sam the next day when his ex-girlfriend returns. Sam, who is getting over a heartbreak himself, doesn’t take this well. His best friend Stasia (Britt Baron) takes it upon herself to help him find someone on Valentine’s Day and Sam and Harry meet each other again at a party. However, Sam judges Harry, and eventually, they end up arguing. Sam leaves, nonetheless fonder of Harry, but clearly lying to himself about his growing love for Harry. The enemies-to-lovers story is the focus of the film that spans over at least two, if not more, years and has similarities with classic cishet rom-coms like My Best Friend’s Wedding and When Harry Met Sally.