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Riley

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01:33

Riley

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• Drama

• 2023
• Benjamin Howard
• 93 mins
• 15

Summary

The life of a disciplined high school athlete begins to unravel when his queer identity competes against the idea of who he was supposed to be.

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IMDB

Review

A star rating of 3 out of 5.

Josh Winning

This heartfelt coming-of-age drama recalls the likes of Beach Rats and The Way He Looks as it charts the struggles of a teenage American football player and his growing attraction to men. In his final year at high school, eighteen-year-old Dakota Riley (a magnetic Jake Holley) has a successful future on the field all but guaranteed. However, he's confused by feelings for his best friend Jaeden (Colin McCalla) and begins to secretly explore his sexuality via hook-ups with an older man (JB Waterman) and a classmate (Connor Storrie). As pressure from his coach father mounts, though, Dakota begins to spiral. Inspired by writer/director Benjamin Howard's own experiences, Riley sketches an impressive portrait of teen anguish, and sensitively explores the burden of living up to other people's expectations. The film does hit a lot of the expected beats of a gay coming-out story, such as the confused girlfriend (Riley Quinn Scott) whom Dakota feels he is failing. However, it makes up for any lack of originality with its sincere and beautifully shot exploration of young people figuring out their place in the world.

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6.6/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenameDakota RileyJake HolleyJaeden GallowayColin McCallaSkylar BraxtonRiley Quinn ScottLiam HauserConnor StorrieCarson RileyRib Hillis"Obi-Wan" HookupJ B Waterman

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Crew

rolenameDirectorBenjamin Howard

Details

Languages

English

Formats

Colour

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