This summer, the streaming selection onHuluwill introduce the long-awaited feel-good gay movieFire Island. Developed initially as a series calledTripby a now-extinct streaming platform Quibi, it was taken over by Searchlight Pictures last year. Comedy Central’s comedian and actor Joel Kim Booster penned the script and starred in the lead role himself. The film’s director is Andrew Ahn, known for his festival-winning queer dramaSpa Night,about a young closeted gay man from Koreatown in Los Angeles who takes up a job at a spa and learns about the secret encounters among male customers. It is inspired by Jane Austen’s legendary classicPride and Prejudice.
“Jane Austen’s observations about the way people are awful to each other without being awful to each other — I was like, Oh, my God. This is shade. This is what gay men do all the time,” Booster tellsVanity Fair. He further explains how his fascination with the author goes back to childhood, saying, “I would watch the BBC miniseries [Pride and Prejudice] with my mom at least once a year, and of course,Cluelesswas such a big movie for me growing up — I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve watchedClueless, from a time before I even understood most of the jokes.’“1995’s high school comedyCluelessis a modern take on another Austen novel,Emma.
Here’s all you need to know about this unmissable queer romantic comedy, not just for fans of Austen.
Fire Island: The Plot
The official plot description tells us the film centres around “a pair of best friends set out to have a legendary week-long summer vacation with the help of cheap rosé and a group of eclectic friends.” The recently released trailer hints at the clash of two different queer worlds as the main laid-back group of friends, who all met years ago in a dead-end restaurant job, are made to feel unwelcome at a party organised by stuck-up socialites. Naturally, one of them ends up being the lead character’s romantic interest. New York’s Fire Island is a popular gay vacation spot known for its wild parties and cruising scene, and there appears to be no shortage of steamy shirtless scenes interlaced with plenty of comically awkward moments.
Related:Why Our Flag Means Death Is the Queer Feel-Good Show We Needed
The film also presents a much-needed commentary on the sad reality of racist and elitist attitudes within the gay community. In the same Vanity Fair interview, Booster wanted to address how some gay people believe that belonging to a discriminated minority gives them immunity to being called out on their own prejudices. “What happens when gay men are put together on an island, and there are no straight people to oppress us? How do we oppress each other? There is this idea that it’s only for white muscle gays,” he describes the harmful reputation The Pines on Fire Island, which is often dubbed as America’s first gay and lesbian town, has acquired over the years. “Don’t let them win. If we all avoid this island because that’s who supposedly runs the island? I refuse to cede that ground. Just because there are s****y people who want to take ownership of it doesn’t mean that they actually own it.”
Fire Island: The Cast
The main character Noah is played by the aforementioned Joel Kim Booster, mainly known for his stand-up special on Comedy Central. He has also appeared in the NBC sitcomSunnysideand asa voice actor inBig Mouth. His co-star, Bowen Yang, a comedian and podcaster, plays his friend Howie. He was featured on NBC’s late-night sketch comedy showSaturday Night Liveand the upcomingBilly Eichner trailblazing gay romantic comedyBros.Multitalented starMargaret Cho, who is a musician, stand-up comedian, fashion designer, and author, portrays the group’s eccentric Erin. She rose to fame after starring in ABC’s 1994 sitcomAll-American Girland also appeared in the action filmFace/Off.
Related:Bros: Plot, Cast, and Everything Else We Know
How To Get Away With Murder’sseries regular Conrad Ricamora plays Noah’s crush, Will. The remaining cast members includeYou’sJames Scully as Charlie,I Love That For YouandQ-Force’sMatt Rogers as Luke, Tomas Matos in his first major role as Keegan,Legacies’Zane Phillips as Dex,Power Book II: Ghost’sBradley Gibson as Johnny, the up-and-coming casting assistant and actor Torian Miller as Max and more.
In an interview withAV Club, Matt Rogers reflects on the talented cast ofFire Islandand the expectations they may face because of their background in comedy:
“People might be expecting one thing because of the group of comedians that are involved in it, but they’re going to be surprised by the depth. I think that everyone in this film has been capable of doing this work, but we’ve just had success in sketch and being silly on podcasts and all this stuff. So it’s a really cool opportunity for us all to show off this other part of ourselves. And I hope that it opens doors not just for us to do more stories like this, but for more people in our community to show different sides of themselves.”
Fire Island: Release Date
Fire Islandwill premiere on NewFest Pride in New York City on June. 2, 2022. It will become available on Hulu the following day.
