2015 Canadian Film Festival: ‘Gaybasher’ Review

This 5-minute short film focuses on a man in his 20s (the Gaybasher) who goes to a former doctor (lover? hookup? …personal physician?) asking for help after being stabbed and wounded. At first, it seems that he was beat up in an alleyway for no apparent reason. It is soon revealed that he was saving a young boy from being raped by a drug dealer in an alleyway. In the process, he was stabbed. After putting the man to sleep, you see the doctor telling another young boy that they need to go back to bed.

The film touches upon gay culture and raises the roles of “twinks” and “daddies” in the LGBT community, where younger boys (twinks) cater to older men (daddies). It is unclear what is really significant about the ending or what the film was trying to convey when the daddy asked his twink to go back to bed.

What’s even more confusing is the film’s entire message. Don’t go out at night? Make sure you maintain good relations with your physician? For twinks, you always need another man to protect you because you are incapable of protecting yourself? It might have been the most disappointing 5 minutes of my life.

In terms of cinematography, I did enjoy the play with depth of field but thought the lighting was too dim and the audio too loud in some parts, and quiet in others. The music could have been more modern but I guess they were aiming for the whole superhero comics theme (with Gaybasher, the dim lighting, shot of city night skyline and the “cloaked” superhero) and going with more “retro” music.

I’ve seen a lot of great stories being told under 5 minutes and this just wasn’t one of them. Better luck next time! 1.5/5

Gaybasher will be playing at The Royal Theatre March 28 at 6 p.m. 

Tickets can be purchased here!