Riley

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1:32

Riley

2023

1h 33m

Drama

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7 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Ambitious high school athlete Dakota Riley begins his senior year like most of his peers; within the confines of the steady monotony that comes with adolescence -- sports, classrooms, dinner tables, school halls. With high expectations for his athletic pursuits, Dakota lives within carefully designed boundaries, a calculated blueprint upon which he's formed the basis of his identity. But when the reality of this identity is thrown into disarray, Dakota is forced to confront the consequences of denying himself, or come to terms with who he really is.

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Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

Jul 25

It is that rawness and realness that gives “Riley” its extra edge, making it a more formidable queer drama about how repression in a hyper-masculine setting can strangle and suffocate someone until they come up for air.

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Marlon Wallace

The M Report (WBOC.com)

Oct 13

...queer films over the past 30 years, there haven't been that many coming-of-age stories focusing on LGBTQ teenagers. There's even been less about LGBTQ athletes and even less about those in the world of American football.

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Joe Lipsett

The Queer Gaze (Podcast)

Sep 18

3/5

While the bracketing device from the short featuring 'Obi Wan Hook Up' doesn't work, there's a painful honesty in Jake Holley's performance. Dakota's relationship with best friend Jaeden is the most intriguing part of the film

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Annette Basile

FILMINK (Australia)

01/10/2025

14.5/20

… an involving drama, thanks largely to the superb performance by Jake Holley in the central role …

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Brian Bromberger

Bay Area Reporter

12/20/2024

Viewers will be rooting for Riley to live authentically and find peace within himself.

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Rich Cline

Shadows on the Wall

03/25/2024

4/5

As the drama gets increasingly serious, the film grabs hold powerfully. So even if things begin to turn a bit melodramatic, there's truth in the way the story plays out.

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Norris N.

@norris525 Jan 6

I never believed the lead was a football player because of his build. Maybe I don’t know much about football (absolutely true!) I think the acting was solid, but the film left me wishing for something more. A clear through line of logic or emotion? Fuller development of key relationships? Too many key relationships? I’m not sure what it was. That said, this is a solid debut by the director.

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Jerod S

@jeroduptown Dec 28

Riley's not the typical coming of age story set in football and high school. Sad it all comes down to a coin toss theory though.

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leslie k

@Lesliek Dec 7

The movie isn’t bad. The guy is cute enough to be an eye candy. There are some hot scenes too. But the story gets bit too much and the older gay guy Riley hooks up with is to weird and not realistic. Aint no way anyone would put up with a prick who is ugly and then sarcastically rude and blunt and keeps going back for sex. The old guy is also ugly. Other than that, the movie is okay. The plot is a bit typical and cliche.

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Wilber D.

Nov 16

Passionate performances and engaging plot that held my interest throughout. Hoping for a sequel. 👍

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Peter K

@Vacadoug Jun 25

This was brutally honest in its narrative of what it is like to be conflicted about one's own self-image and the fear of 'letting-down' your family and peers. It's unbelievable that after all these decades we -- as a society-- are still hung-up on the spectrum of human sexuality.

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Ricardo A

Jun 7

This film took me to a visceral experience with my feelings lived in the past, it is masterfully performed by Jake Holley, and very well written and directed by Benjamin Howard, the drama of discovering yourself in a world where being the real you involves a daily struggle with yourself, the fear that leads you to hide in a character, and at the same time to be true to your feelings, leads the character to a deep crisis, where the viewer will be taken on an internal journey, of a stunned mind within a world that will not allow him to cower, but to move forward towards self-knowledge, and the search for the freedom to be true.

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Benjamin Howard

Director

Jake Holley

Actor

Colin McCalla

Actor

Riley Quinn Scott

Actor

Connor Storrie

Actor

Rib Hillis

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Riley: Trailer 1

1:32

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Synopsis

Ambitious high school athlete Dakota Riley begins his senior year like most of his peers; within the confines of the steady monotony that comes with adolescence -- sports, classrooms, dinner tables, school halls. With high expectations for his athletic pursuits, Dakota lives within carefully designed boundaries, a calculated blueprint upon which he's formed the basis of his identity. But when the reality of this identity is thrown into disarray, Dakota is forced to confront the consequences of denying himself, or come to terms with who he really is.

Director: Benjamin Howard
Producer: Benjamin Howard, Tommy Anderson, Laura Scarano
Screenwriter: Benjamin Howard
Distributor: Dark Star Pictures
Production Co: Windsor Film Company
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 14, 2025
Runtime: 1h 33m

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