Hitting the Mark

April 8, 2019
Wayne (Showers, Flowers, and Fangs) misses the mark with this short, dull contemporary. Bisexual action-movie star Marcus Economidis returns to his hometown for a film shoot and reconnects with his first crush, Taemin Choi, the martial arts instructor who trained him when Marcus was a young boy. Taemin is a workaholic who teaches classes, does volunteer work, and is training for the Olympics. He often forgets to eat, which worries Marcus. When a photo of the two men together is published in the tabloids and a jealous fan of Marcus throws bricks through the window of Taemin’s studio, they must confront their relationship being in the public eye, but there’s little tension in that or anything else. Wayne does not emphasize either romance or sex; when Marcus claims he and Taemin “click,” there is little evidence. Taemin does enjoy sparring with Marcus and also desires him, but the guys have busy schedules and their mutual attraction goes largely unacknowledged. Mainly, the characters meet because Marcus checks in on Taemin, who is pushing himself too hard. They share more comfortable domestic moments than kisses. Both the characters and their situations are undeveloped, leaving this scanty story devoid of appeal.