Weekend (2011)

From Longtime Companion (1989) to BPM (2017), there’s a glut of films that focus on homosexuals dying in the end. If these motion pictures aren’t trying to make audiences think (1993’s And the Band Played On and 2014’s The Normal Heart), they’re going for laughs (1982’s Partners, 1995’s Jeffrey and 2020’s Death Drop Gorgeous) or tears (1986’s Parting Glances, 1992’s The Living End, 1996’s It’s My Party, and 2002’s The Matthew Shepard Story). As seen in Oscar faves (1993’s Philadelphia, 2002’s Brokeback Mountain and 2009’s A Single Man), films featuring two dudes doing it usually mean one of them will contract AIDS, get hit by a bus, or off himself to prove it’s not easy being gay. So, it’s refreshing to find a movie about a homosexual couple who remain alive by the end credits. Enter Weekend (2011) starring Tom Cullen and Chris New, not to be confused with the drama The Weekend (1999) with D.B. Sweeney. This British pic is as unapologetic as it is straightforward in its depiction of what happens when Russell (Cullen) picks up Glen (New) at a London gay bar and they spend the weekend holed up in bed together. It’s simple, it’s romantic, and it doesn’t hurt that Tom and Chris are nice to look at. Check out Mr. Cullen giving his dink a thorough cleaning in the bath 43 minutes into the flick. Later, he and Mr. New show off their affection as well as their naked T&A. No wonder everybody’s jerkin’ for the weekend!