BEACH RATS
US, 2017, 98 minutes, Colour.
Harris Dickinson, Madeline Weinstein, Kate Hodge.
Directed by Eliza Hittman.
The beach rats of the title are a group of young men from Brooklyn who hang around with each other, are drug users, idly go to the beach, mostly with each other, some with an eye on the girls.
However, the central character is Frankie, an ambiguous character. He is preoccupied with himself, with his body, looking at himself in the mirror¦ However, he goes online, connects with gay sites, looking at images, involved in chats, ultimately making decision to meet up with some of the men from the chat rooms, sexual encounters with them some explicit.
However, he keeps this a secret though he continues to pursue his online searches, but also becomes involved with picking up men and sexual encounters with them.
His mother is fairly permissive with his behaviour though she does not know the truth. But she is concerned about his being out late, no explanations. But, she is gradually reassured when Frankie becomes involved with a girl, Simone, goes out on dates, performs inadequately with her sexually, but always has an excuse. The screenplay spends quite an amount of time on the ups and downs of the relationship.
Ultimately, he uses promise of drugs to his friends as a cover for his activities. One of his pickups promises to get drugs but is treated roughly by Frankie's friends whose behaviour is definitely homophobic and violent. The man dies and his body floated in the ocean.
The end of the film is a challenge for Frankie, his relationship with Simone and whether it has a future, honesty or not with his mother, and acknowledgement of his sexual orientation and his behaviour or not.
Frankie is played by the British actor, Harris Dickinson, who played a similar role in Postcards from London, a young man from the provinces, gay but not able to admit it at home, going to London and becoming involved with a group of gay artists, especially getting him to pose in photos and films of Caravaggio paintings. Harris Dickinson then moved more mainstream with The Darkest Minds, Prince Philip in the sequel to Maleficent, a role in the third Kingsman film.
