Riley (film) explained

Director:Benjamin Howard
Cinematography:Michael Elias Thomas
Editing:Benjamin Howard
Music:Jerik Centeno
Studio:Windsor Film Company
Country:United States
Language:English

Riley is a 2023 American coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Benjamin Howard in his feature film debut. The film stars Jake Holley, Colin McCalla, Riley Quinn Scott, Connor Storrie and Rib Hillis.

The film screened at Calgary International Film Festival and where it was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews.

Plot

Dakota Riley's life of being a high school jock becomes complicated once he discovers that he identifies as queer.

Production

The film is Howard's feature film debut[1] and is semi-autobiographical, with the film being based on his own experience as a student athlete. It was crowdfunded with the help of Seed&Spark[2] and principal photography took place in East County, San Diego.[3]

Release

Riley held its world premiere at Calgary International Film Festival on September 24, 2023. The US premiere took place at Bend Film Festival in Bend, Oregon.[4] It later screened at San Diego Film Week,[5] Sedona International Film Festival,[6] San Luis Obispo International Film Festival,[7] and Florida Film Festival.[8] The European premiere was held at in 2024.[9]

Reception

Critical response

Vidal Dcosta at The Movie Buff gave the film an A+ claiming it "excels at tackling multiple issues that plague the protagonist."[10] Ris Fatah at Queerguru scored the film 9/10 and said "Howard's feature-length drama is an impressive, authentic debut."[11] Rich Cline at Shadows on the Wall scored it 4 out of 5, saying "as the drama gets increasingly serious, the film grabs hold powerfully. So even if things begin to turn a bit melodramatic, there's truth in the way the story plays out."[12] Neil Baker at Cinerama Film praised the screenplay as it "captures a realism rarely seen in coming-of-age, coming-out movies."[13] Josh Winning at Radio Times scored it 3 out of 5 saying it has "sincere and beautifully shot exploration of young people figuring out their place in the world."[14]

Accolades

FestivalYearAwardRecipient(s)Result
BendFilm Festival2023Best CinematographyMichael Elias Thomas
Best Directing, Narrative FeatureBenjamin Howard
Best Narrative FeatureBenjamin Howard
Calgary International Film Festival2023International Narrative CompetitionBenjamin Howard
San Diego Film Week2023Best Drama Feature FilmRiley

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Scheetz . Cameron . 2023-09-26 . WATCH: A closeted football player tackles identity & masculinity in this coming-of-age sports drama . 2023-10-02 . Queerty.
  2. Web site: Bernstein . Paula . 2023-10-30 . BendFilm Festival 2023: What Filmmakers Need to Know Before Applying to Film Festivals Filmmaker Magazine . 2023-10-31 . . en-US.
  3. Web site: Chadive . Sanjana . 2023-09-23 . 'Riley': A UCLA alumnus' love letter to community and queer youth . 2023-10-02 . Daily Bruin.
  4. Web site: Fortner . Jillian . 2023-10-13 . Bend Film Festival moviegoers celebrate two decades of captivating cinema . 2023-10-14 . . en-US.
  5. Kahnert . Eric . 2023-11-15 . 'Riley' premieres at San Diego Film Week . 2023-11-18 . . en-US.
  6. Web site: 2024-02-14 . Sedona International Film Festival "Riley" Screening - Signals AZ . 2024-03-29 . Signals AZ.
  7. Web site: 2024-03-18 . RILEY SAN LUIS OBISPO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL . 2024-03-29 . en-US.
  8. Web site: 2024 Florida Film Festival . 2024-03-29 . Eventive.
  9. Web site: 2024-02-13 . 38th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival full programme announced . 2024-03-29 . . en.
  10. Web site: Dcosta . Vidal . 2024-03-10 . 'Riley' BFI Flare Review (2023) . 2024-03-29 . The Movie Buff . en-US.
  11. Web site: Fatah . Ris . 2023-10-01 . Queerguru's Ris Fatah reviews RILEY a beautiful queer coming-of-age film from Benjamin Howard . 2023-10-02 . Queerguru . en-US.
  12. Web site: Cline . Rich . 2024-03-15 . Shadows on the Wall Arthouse Films . 2024-03-29 . Shadows on the Wall.
  13. Web site: Baker . Neil . 2024-03-13 . Riley (review) - BFI Flare 2024 . 2024-03-29 . Cinerama Film . en-GB.
  14. Web site: Winning . Josh . 2024-03-16 . Riley (2023) . 2024-03-29 . . en-GB.