The best of the many cool things about the Breaking Glass Pictures November 21, 2017 DVD of the 2017 gay-themed thriller "Rift" is that it combines every great element of Breaking films.
The theme of reuniting with "the one who got away" is directly out of (the reviewed) "Lazy Eye" and (also reviewed) "Retake." The central hardy boys finding themselves endangered in an isolated spot begs for a comparison to the (reviewed) great Hitchcockian thriller "BnB." Finally, the Icelandic setting is reminiscent of the (reviewed) Bergmanesque tale of teen boys in love "Heartstone."
The bigger picture (pun intended) regarding these Breaking releases is that they have the trifecta of elements that make the gay-themed fare from this company fantabulous. The central story easily could feature a straight couple; the film has a strong live-stage vibe, and the filmmaker does not use excessive nudity and/or sex scenes to compensate for a lack of story. Any dick shots and sodomy are important to the story.
The IMDb synopsis for "Rift" perfectly describes it as "two men in a secluded cabin are haunted by their dead relationship."
Many of us can relate to being on one or both ends of the conversation when a late-night call from ex Einar wakes Gunnar from a peaceful sleep with his current boyfriend. The timing of the call and the tome of the voice of Einar prompts Gunnar to drive out to the aforementioned vacation home of the family of Einar.
Seeing Einar somewhat alleviates the concern of Gunnar, who determines that the state-of-mind of his former significant other warrants spending the night in the guest room. These early moments also involve the feeling of unease that increases throughout this atmospheric film.
Melancholy Einar soon brings Gunnar out into a marshy area and relates childhood memories that include a near-death experience. This leads to a fun romp that turns menacing.
This segment only contains a portion of the aforementioned haunting; Einar clearly is not over the breakup and does not understand the reason for it. We further get eerie whispers, scary late-night visitors, and other things literally or figuratively going bump in the night. This is not to mention a childhood friend of Einar throwing a large scare into Gunnar.
One of the best scenes is a prime example of the aforementioned live-stage vibe of "Rift." Our boys are in a good place when that mood and an earlier conversation prompts Gunnar to deliver a monolog about his first same-sex sexual experience. The setting is right for the tale, and it elicits the desired response in all but the most perverse among us.
The sense of lost love, hope for rekindling, and threats from within and outside continue right to the end of "Rift." As he does throughout the film. writer/director Erloingur Otta Thoroddesn shows excellent instincts regarding when to end the story.
The special features include deleted scenes.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Rift" or Breaking is strongly encouraged to email me; you alternatively can connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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