Star high school football player Dakota Riley (Jake Holley) is feeling the pressure. His girlfriend Skylar (Riley Quinn Scott) wants to have sex, but he’s resisting. His best friend Jaeden (Colin McCalla), who is temporarily living with him, seems to be sending out flirty vibes. While his former star-athlete dad Carson (Rib Hillis), who is also his coach, is constantly pushing him to succeed. When classmate Liam (Connor Storrie) comments on the attractive men that populate Riley’s Instagram feed, it forces him to start facing what he has been avoiding.
Beautifully shot, writer-director Benjamin Howard’s assured debut feature—inspired by his own experiences as a high school football player—is a coming-of-age drama that hits some familiar beats, but feels authentic. Told from the point of view of the titular high-flying athlete, it is a high school coming-out narrative full of angst and abs. The editing, also by Howard, ensures Riley flows well, while Michael Elias Thomas’ handsome and stylish cinematography elevates both the action and the anguish, helping to draw out the emotion.
Jake Holley is excellent as Riley, playing repressed desire and internal conflict with just a subtle glint in his eyes. Although this is a character lost in their own thoughts, Holley’s performance is never passive, and he gives Riley an engaging inner life and fully fleshed-out personality. McCalla’s Jaeden brilliantly rides the thin line between being sexually suggestive and simply being a sports bro. The supporting cast all deliver fine performances, filling out the high school world.
While the film does veer into melodrama, it never wallows in it. There might be some aspects of wish fulfillment, like in Riley’s coming-out speech which is a bit too eloquent and Skylar’s reaction, but these are well-acted. Ultimately, Riley achieves what it sets out to do with clarity and care.
By Chad Armstrong
Riley receives its Australian Premiere at Queer Screen’s 32nd Mardi Gras Film Festival in Sydney on Friday, February 21st. Head to queerscreen.org.au for tickets and more information.
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