Love doesn’t come easy, especially for queer characters of color. Either we have stories that consists of “coming-of-age” or “coming-out” — both of which are completely fine and beautiful — but there never is a unapologetically queer movie about finding love through the chaos of one hot summer. That is where Andrew Ahn’s Fire Island comes in.
Written by Joel Kim Booster, and inspired by Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice, Fire Island is a romantic comedy about two best friends Noah (Booster) and Howie (SNL’s Bowen Yang) who set out to have a legendary summer adventure with their cadre of eclectic friends and fall in love with two well-off privileged vacationers, Will (Conrad Ricamora) and Charlie (James Scully), respectively.
The trailer alone sets the tone of film where Noah and his friends have always been seen as outsiders to their annual summer trip to Fire Island — think if West Hollywood were an Island. They are finally invited to an upper class “bourgeois” party by Charlie, who takes an interest in Howie. Will isn’t fond of the group, but decides to go along with it for Charlie’s sake, but is slowly charmed by Noah, who takes offense to Will’s snooty behavior. Very Pride & Prejudice. I love it.
Directed by Ahn (the lovely director of the queer coming-of-age indie, Spa Night), the film also stars Margaret Cho, Nick Adams, Tomás Matos, Matt Rogers, Torian Miller, and Zane Phillips.
Fire Island premieres on June 3 on Hulu.
Set in the iconic Pines, Andrew Ahn’s FIRE ISLAND is an unapologetic, modern day rom-com showcasing a diverse, multicultural examination of queerness and romance. Inspired by the timeless pursuits from Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice, the story centers around two best friends (Joel Kim Booster and Bowen Yang) who set out to have a legendary summer adventure with the help of cheap rosé and their cadre of eclectic friends. Cast: Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, Conrad Ricamora, and Margaret Cho