F.L.Y.

I was able to catch this film at the Miami Outshine Film Festival and I'm so glad I did. In the first couple of minutes I found myself uncertain of its direction. The initial setup seemed scattered, leaving me wondering where the story was headed. However, once the exposition was out of the way, the film found its stride and never looked back. From that point on, it held my attention until the credits rolled.

I was really impressed with the acting of Rafael he seemed so natural in every scene. My favorite scenes where the ones with his mom and abuela. They felt so palpable and real. I'm Cuban and they remind me so much of mine. All the small characters where incredible adds to the comedy of the film. Every time the actress playing Denae was on screen I laugh. But what struck me most was the seamless blend of comedy with poignant, slice-of-life moments and how in moments I wasnt expecting my eyes will get teary.

What made it also special was how self aware the filmmakers where like the film wasn't afraid to poke fun at itself, for me this was brilliant and had me laughing hard. I couldn't believe at the end in the Q&A that the lead actors were also the directors and writers of the film and that this was their first movie. Really hope Netflix or a good streamer finds it. I hope these duo keeps making films together. Definitely a new refreshing voice in queer cinema.

This film was my big surprise at the Puerto Rico Queer Filmfest, directed and co-starring by Rafael Albarrán, at first and to be honest with so many international films at the festival I hesitated to see it. I had a movie marathon, one after the other, and I thought I would take a break to eat something and watch the next one. But at the end I rethink and decided to watch it. And damn good I did!

F. L. Y. It is one of those few queer comedies that you really enjoy from beginning to end, whose plot flows from a fearless comedy to some tender drama. It's goofy but brave goofy. Its plot focuses on the lives of Max and Rafael, Max has always felt a little contained in the queer world, while Rafaelis more relaxed. After a breakup, they meet 5 years later, Max has another partner, Rafael arrives completely different and to make matters worse, they are both trapped by the Covid pandemic in a house.

This is a genuine comedy, with very good performances from its two protagonists played by Trent Kendrick and Rafael Albarran, very well supported by a super effective supporting cast, highlighting Shea Diamond, a transsexual best friend of Max who has among the most funniets and tender moments of the film. Ursula Christian also stands out as Max's endearing grandmother and the Puerto Rican actresses Carola García and Irma Mendez, Rafael's mother and grandmother.

The production values are impeccable, the editing, the music. A comedy that manages the times very well. It knows when to make you laugh, cry, but above all F. L. Y. Dares to move like Rafael's character, without fear, without complexes; honest with themselves.

Highly recommended.

It's not often that one finds a work of LGBTQ+ cinema that intentionally (and successfully) incorporates material related to personal growth and development, especially within the unlikely context of a romantic comedy-drama. However, actor-writer-directors Trent Kendrick and Rafael Albarran have done just that in their debut feature about two former partners (Kendrick and Albarran) whose envisaged brief reunion after many years apart suddenly and unexpectedly thrusts them together into an exercise in quarantining in place at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their unplanned cohabitation leads to both a look back and a look forward as they jointly and individually review where they were and now where they're going in their respective new lives. That experience subsequently prompts considerable soul searching as they each seek to come to terms with their true selves as individuals and what that may hold for the future, both for themselves and in relation to one another. In the process, they experience a variety of shifts in perspective as they come to discover themselves, often aided by an array of colorful supporting players from their present and past. And their odyssey is further fueled by a wide range of unusual and often-hilarious experiences, some related to the pandemic, some related to gay life, some tied to the world of drag and gender identity, some based on individual aspirations, and some reflected through recollections shown in flashbacks. The result is an appealing, heartwarming slice of life tale that combines all of the foregoing diverse narrative elements. Admittedly, there are times when these story components don't always mesh quite as effectively as they might have, and the picture tends to get stretched out a little too much in the final act. But, generally speaking, these varied aspects harmonize well, providing a tale unlike what's typically found in most LGBTQ+ or personal growth-oriented film offerings, an outcome that gay community members who have undergone their share of experiences of disappointment, disempowerment and heartbreak will find personally inspiring. And that point is nicely driven home when the acronym that accounts for this release's title is at last explained (an uplifting notion that I won't spoil by unduly revealing it here). "F. L. Y." is an impressive debut from this writing and directorial duo, something that we can hope we'll see more of in future projects.

Such a fun film! A beautifully fun camp experience revisiting lockdown, while also making room to draw a few tears. This film has a great representation of today's dating culture too. The film highlights so many realms of love, and the different relationships throughout giving this unconventional and divergent love story an adorable perspective to unconventional relationship dynamics not seen represented in mainstream film. I fell in love with the characters. The chemistry between them was amazing <3 Definitely a great movie to revisit and rewatch. Hopefully will be available to stream soon!!!

This movie really caught me by surprise! It's honestly one of the best movies I've seen this year! I loved the tone! Really captured the zeitgeist of lockdown in a way nothing I've seen has and it touches on so many important topics about love, family, community, etc. And it's really funny and so heartfelt! Felt healing to watch. I can't wait to watch it again! I was also very impressed by the filmmakers who made this movie - who not only acted in the film but apparently did about everything else! Really excited to see this film take flight and also to see where their careers lead them to next! I forecast big things ahead! "It was a movie that I honestly didn't know if I wanted to watch and I am so glad I did! I can't wait to watch it again!" Great job!