Pride 2024: A Q+ Celebration!
June 29
Uncoupled
Created by Darren Star (Sex and the City) and Jeffrey Richman (Modern Family), Uncoupled features a diverse and talented cast that depicts a version of what gay life is like for middle-aged men in Manhattan.
New York City is depicted in a manner reminiscent of other Darren Star productions. Uncoupled paints a side of the city that almost feels like fiction itself. Much like Star’s version of New York City that was presented to audiences in Sex and the City, the characters of this show all live exuberant lives that not too many real New Yorkers actually get to experience. In Uncoupled, the city almost becomes this fairy tale, idyllic fictitious character all of its own.
As Uncoupled begins, Michael (Neil Patrick Harris) finds himself suddenly single after spending seventeen very monogamous years with Colin (Tuc Watkins). On the evening of his 50th birthday bash, Colin moves out of the apartment they own together and delivers the news of the separation to Michael as they’re about to walk into the big, fancy party together.
Colin swears there isn’t anyone else, but he also doesn’t offer any other reason why he wants to break up. Michael is blindsided and painstakingly baffled as he enters single life without really understanding what went wrong, or what happened. Surrounded by the love and support of his friends – a couple of gay guys and a dedicated straight bestie – Michael suddenly finds himself starring down the barrel of the New York City gay dating scene well in the throws of his forties.
This is cute and safe queer television y’all. Michael is likable in every way and he’s definitely palatable for all audiences – queer or straight. Colin is effectively and artistically demonized, and the first season closes with him finally providing the reason he abandoned Michael and walked away.
Where to watch? Uncoupled is available to watch on Netflix now.
The Rules of Us by Jennifer Nissley
In The Rules of Us, Jillian and Henry are that couple that have their lives completely mapped out. They’re in the same classes at school, invest their time in the same hobbies, and are even planning to go to the same college once they’re done with high school. But then, after the Junior Prom, both Henry and Jillian reveal to each other that they’re each gay, which complicates things indeed. Their whole lives are already forged together, but neither Jillian nor Henry is into the other in that way. How are they supposed to work through this?
Obviously, they break up, but they don’t abandon each other or their friendship. At first, they try to do everything they can to still be “Jillian and Henry”, but without all the die-hard romance stuff. Jillian creates a set of rules for them that are designed to make sure she and Henry stay friends and are able to continue on their college-bound journey together, despite no longer being romantically connected.
Then, Henry meets a boy and Jillian develops a crush on a girl at their school, and things obviously begin to shift. As they begin to drift apart, their future together comes into question and Jillian finds herself suddenly unsure of everything. They fight to sort out their problems, they make mistakes along the way, and they’re both just trying to work out how they feel about themselves and the world around them.
Described as messy (in the best way), uncomfortable at times, but artistically beautiful to read, The Rules of Us shows us that it is possible to be friends with someone after romance has died, that platonic love is just as important as the romantic kind, and sometimes, it’s more powerful and everlasting.
Where to buy? The Rules of Us is available to purchase at all reputable booksellers.
Love Lies Bleeding
Unleashed on audiences for the first time at the Sundance Film Festival, this dark comedy/romantic thriller starring Kristen Stewart and directed by Rose Glass is a 2024 crowd favorite. Love Lies Bleeding is set in 1989 and follows the relationship between an antisocial gym manager who belongs to a family embroiled in criminal activity and an ambitious bodybuilder who gets sucked into all the crime.
Lou (Kristen Stewart) works at the gym. Her life is shrouded in mediocrity and her daily tasks include unblocking toilets and generally keeping the place clean. It’s not very glamorous work. When Jackie (Katy O’Brian) blows into town, and subsequently Lou’s gym, Lou’s world lights up. Jackie is a bodybuilder and is ripped in all the right places. She’s fierce, tough, and Lou is smitten with her.
The pair begin dating and fall madly in love with each other. Along the way, Lou introduces Jackie to the underground side of her life and steps her into the world of performance-enhancing drugs. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the Bad Things Lou and Jackie get up to.
Lou’s sister is involved with a bad guy who physically and emotionally abuses her. JJ (Dave Franco) gets way too handsy with her one night and Beth (Jena Malone) winds up in hospital. Unstable from using way too many roids, Jackie goes to JJ’s apartment and beats him to death in retribution for the way he treats Beth.
And so starts the escapade of disposing of the body. Lou and Jackie drive JJ’s corpse into a ravine. It’s here that Lou reveals she helped her father kill business associates of his in the past, and they also disposed of their bodies in this same very ravine.
Love Lies Bleeding is violent, over the top, and artistically pretentious – but it’s excellent in every single way.
Where to watch? Love Lies Bleeding is available to rent on Prime Video and YouTube.
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