Movie Digest
It is the graduation day for two high school boys Yeon Ho and Jae min, but they both skip the last day of school. We see a hesitant Yeon Ho try to hold Jae min’s hand and apologize to him quite out of the blue. Jae Min however surprises Yeon Ho with a confession. It’s an LGBTQ movie that represents the love between two high school boys and what it means now that they have their school days behind them.
The Feel Good Part
Hold me is an extremely easy and heartwarming watch. These movies are especially important to challenge the heteronormative gaze romance movies to take. This story speaks of two boys in high school thinking about their future and more so trying to put into words what they feel about each other. The mutual feelings are signified through hand holding, correcting neckties, and shy smiles. It does not go over the top with its PDA. The movie perfectly captures the uncertainty of falling in love with someone with societal pressure that doesn’t let you align. The way they skirt around their feelings to eventually promise that they will be happy in the end is something very beautiful to watch unfold on the screen.
The Disappointing Factor
There is not much disappointing factor in this film considering how its duration is only 7 minutes. The production was executed perfectly with good casting and showed the essence of falling in love with same-sex. This movie does not over-sexualized the minors just to make a point. It would be a comfortable watch for someone dipping their toes into LGBTQ-focused movies as a beginner.
In-Depth Analysis
The boys in this movie are written pretty much keeping the focus on what most high schoolers think along the lines of. For example, there are scenes where they discuss what they want to do in their future. This movie is a short film released by the production company Strongberry productions, given pride month to celebrate the unique relations in our world and redirect the heteronormative gaze prevalent in popular media.
Star Power
Jeon Yeong In and Hong Mink I are cast as the main roles in this movie.
Overall Opinion
As previously mentioned, this movie is a good start for those looking to foray into the realm of movies that are queer-focused. This movie encapsulates the innocence of high school romance based on two boys very beautifully in a perfectly executed ending. It helps do its part by subverting the normal gendered trope we see in romance and that is increasingly important at a time when many countries have archaic laws that prey on the existence of queer individuals’ life choices.
