mgold-8
I just wanted to thank all the reviewers who took the time to say what a great movie this is, in spite of the awful lighting and the even worse sound quality.I never would have given this film the time of day, had it not been for these reviews. And I'm so glad I did - this is absolutely one of the best gay-themed movies I've ever seen (and I've seen a ton of them!)I've watched DENIED four times and each time, I notice new nuances that I hadn't previously observed. The 2 lead actors are fantastic. The plot is totally realistic and one of the reasons I can say this is because I had my own "Merrick" in college and for several years after. Moving beyond a completely dysfunctional relationship like this is a lot harder than it ought to be. Troy made the right choice to get away from Merrick. Unfortunately if there were a sequel, it would probably show Merrick seeking out Troy a year or two later and destroying whatever progress Troy might have made in terms of getting a life. Luckily, there is no sequel....
amberbaer
Let me just say that they acting is so sub par that it doesn't even register on the gay-dar scale! There is little back story shown to show how these two young men have been friends and are still close - that might have helped.The notion that the Jock is gay and the off-beat roommate is just sexually curious when the girlfriend/wife isn't around doesn't take flight.The actors look at each other too longingly to keep their lust for each other a secret from the rest of the world.While the Jock is HOT - the scenes of him just standing in his underwear could have been improved if he did more than just stare - and what sex scenes that were filmed were so spliced together that they made you cringe and look away.It's difficult material to put into a movie - but lighting the film could have helped - the grainy shot with a single camera doesn't give the edge it should have.Jock man - hot in his undies, Scruffy boy - kinda hot when he finally kisses the jock for the first time.The women in the movie only served to annoy the viewer and distract from the overall production - as a stage play with just the two guys - this could be something better.At least know the jock is hot and the scruffy boy has a furry butt and doesn't kiss after gay sex, but that's normal for someone who won't admit they are gay! I can't rate it completely awful - but at least I can send it back to Netflix and never speak of it again!
vampirepirate
It's a shame the production is somewhat student-y and that some of the dialogue is muffled and inaudible, because this is a film that rings true. Two straight-acting friends, a hunk and a dropout, move in together, and we slowly start to piece together just what kind of relationship they have - which is appropriate, since they don't appear to know either. This is what I liked best about this film - no neat resolutions, no flashes of insight, just a realistic and sometimes painful muddle of emotions and situations that have to be dealt with as best as can be, which usually isn't very well at all. That's certainly been my experience of dealing with sexuality, outside of the commercial gay ghetto anyway - real-life grappling with queer issues isn't neatly resolved in three acts and buying a Pride T-shirt doesn't make it all better. So this is definitely worth seeing, if you're not expecting Dolby stereo and answers to all your questions.
JSLittlefield
There aren't many movies that portray mainstream gay relationships. This move does. The two main characters are very likable and have great chemistry together. "Denied" deals with the struggles gay men have coming out of themselves and the people they have grown up with. The director has done a great job of maintaining tension of the film you never quite sure what's going to happen next. There are some nice sex scenes that are tender and touching not contrived or gratuitous. If you've always wanted to see a movie that portrays how men care and love one another you will like this movie. Great dialog and acting. Film lighting and sound could be improved but are worth putting up with. Hats off to all who participated in this movie. Please do more!
AD
