Boy Culture: Generation X
The long-awaited sequel to a much-loved gay film.
Written and directed by Q. Allan Brocka, Boy Culture: Generation X is the sequel to the 2006 film that has become a much-loved piece of queer culture.
Brocka is back at the helm for this reprise, as are Derek Magyar and Darryl Stephens - who starred in the 2006 film - with both returning to reprise their original roles.
This new instalment in the story is set more than a decade after the events of the first film.
The focus remains on the central characters of X (Magyar) and Andrew (Stephens) - an on-again, off-again couple. They're now separated but still living together out of financial necessity.
When X attempts to plunge back into his previous job as a sex worker, he’s in for a rude awakening — he’s no longer the flavour of the month, and the entire industry has been transformed by changing attitudes, online platforms and PrEP.
X reluctantly turns to Chayce (Jason Caceres) - giving demon-twink energy - to guide him back into the business.
“The original focused on taking a risk to find love..." explains Brocka. "Now, X has had love, and something’s not quite working, so he’s got to refocus on himself — who is he outside of love?”
“I love the character, the writing, the director - we are a family..." says Magyar. "We had a table read and it was like nothing had changed, except for the fact that we’d gotten a bit older.”
“When I heard Derek was coming back, I breathed a huge sigh of relief..." adds Stephens. "Not only would the fans be able to see us together again after all these years, but my job in telling this story would be exponentially easier.”
At times, the film can feel a bit like it is determinedly checking off the issues of the day - race, sexual health, sexual identity, diversity, social media, and kinks. In that sense it echoes the Sex and The City reboot - was X frozen in an iceberg somewhere? How has a sex-worker been so out-of-the-loop that he ceased learning or evolving while the rest of the world moved on without him?
Regardless, it's always good to have queer characters on our screens being queer-as-fuck.
Boy Culture: Generation X is distributed by TLA Releasing
