1985
A closeted young man struggles to reveal his identity and dire circumstances to his conservative family in this drama shot in stark black and white.
After three years, closeted advertising executive Adrian (Cory Michael Smith) returns to his Texas hometown during the AIDS crisis. Burdened with tragedy, Adrian seeks to reconnect with his brother Andrew (Aidan Langford) while navigating his relationship with his religious parents (Virginia Madsen and Michael Chiklis). When he reaches out to his estranged childhood friend Carly (Jamie Chung), their unresolved issues force Adrian to confront an uncertain future that will change the lives of those around him forever.
- Director:
- Yen Tan ('Pit Stop', 'Happy Birthday', 'Deadroom')
- Writer:
- Yen Tan
- Cast:
- Cory Michael SmithMichael ChiklisJamie ChungAidan LangfordRyan Piers WilliamsMichael DarbyBryan Massey
Reviews & comments
Variety
pressAll the performances are very good (though one might ask why no one has a regional accent), with stage-trained Smith providing a center of quiet intensity.
The Times
pressThe dark inky frames are full of shadows and dread. Yet the narrative, and Adrian's journey, is always leavened with quiet compassion.
The New York Times
pressA moving cinematic sketch of a HIV-infected man living through the height of the plague.
The Guardian
pressIt's a beautifully acted film. In the dark days of the epidemic it would surely have been impossible to make a drama so balanced, so compassionately attuned to everyone's feelings.
Screen Daily
press1985 gets the notes right, and its foreboding look takes us back to a dark age. It's a lesson worth remembering. Yet with all the prejudice and pain, the film still feels a lot like a sermon.
Los Angeles Times
pressThis profoundly resonant, smartly understated black-and-white film greatly benefits from more than 30 years worth of sociosexual perspective that reminds us how much has changed, yet how much else has not.
Hollywood Reporter
pressAnchored by a deeply felt central performance from Cory Michael Smith, the modest but affecting film should find a receptive niche with LGBT audiences.
Variety
pressAll the performances are very good (though one might ask why no one has a regional accent), with stage-trained Smith providing a center of quiet intensity.
The Times
pressThe dark inky frames are full of shadows and dread. Yet the narrative, and Adrian's journey, is always leavened with quiet compassion.
The New York Times
pressA moving cinematic sketch of a HIV-infected man living through the height of the plague.
The Guardian
pressIt's a beautifully acted film. In the dark days of the epidemic it would surely have been impossible to make a drama so balanced, so compassionately attuned to everyone's feelings.
Screen Daily
press1985 gets the notes right, and its foreboding look takes us back to a dark age. It's a lesson worth remembering. Yet with all the prejudice and pain, the film still feels a lot like a sermon.
Los Angeles Times
pressThis profoundly resonant, smartly understated black-and-white film greatly benefits from more than 30 years worth of sociosexual perspective that reminds us how much has changed, yet how much else has not.
Hollywood Reporter
pressAnchored by a deeply felt central performance from Cory Michael Smith, the modest but affecting film should find a receptive niche with LGBT audiences.
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