Happiness Adjacent

This is a gutsy film, shot on a cruise ship, in Mexico, on an iPhone6, costing $800. Budgets don't matter if the script is good. And this one is very good. The "conceit" of Hank talking aloud to his friend, mother, and shrink wears thin by the symmetrical ending (and might have been handled with more finesse). The main problem is marriage. Kurt's wife is a stereotype of female vacuity who, while sick, pushes her husband toward Hank. But viewers learn later that Kurt has already been unfaithful with men. Often hurt by his wandering eye, she would certainly have been cautious on the ship. The comedy of her foolish innocence comes at a cost. Although she is a superb actress, the character she is made to play is incoherent: she is ignorant, then suddenly jealous. We know that Kurt's promises of fidelity, made often before, cannot be honored. Nor would we expect them to be. Because we never see Kurt showing any sustained affection for his wife (a fast dance is not a form of intimacy), we know that he is primarily gay. He pursues Hank relentlessly, lights up around him, begs for sex, and considers leaving his wife. If Hank had been presented with less neurosis (he's been in therapy for ten years) and more intelligence (he reads books), he might really have tempted Kurt to make a life with him. The film, however, sticks to its comedic premise, separates the men, offers each a "good life" ahead, and condemns Kurt to a marriage of such emptiness that even a child will not compensate for the couple's disharmony. Hank's final encounter at the luggage checkpoint suggests that he will go from one attractive man to another. In short: Scratch the surface of this excellent film, and it is very dark underneath. - Michael Squires

Happiness Adjacent is a 4 out 5 star romantic drama that takes a very adult look at two guys that hook up on a cruise, one of which is married. Before people get in an uproar about the infidelity, the wife is somewhat aware of his activities. While it might not have the ending that a lot of people might have wanted, it does have a very responsible adult ending, which I'm thankful for. The only reason this doesn't earn a full 5 stars is a few audio technical issues from being shot entirely on an iPhone, and the speaking to a towel as if it was an absent friend. Those spoken thought monologues got a bit tedious. Plus, I just didn't enjoy it as much as the incredible The Men Next Door (from the same writer/director). There's some skin shown (mostly butts), and the ginger cub married man is incredibly sexy. I managed to watch this for free with Amazon Prime, and highly recommend that you watch as well. When I have the finances available, I plan to purchase this, and may even try to get a DVD copy.

Having had relationships with bisexual men before, I went into watching this movie with minimum expectations. But having also watched some of Rob Williams' other films, I knew to expect the unexpected. I was pleased with the pacing early in the film, though I thought Kurt kissed Hank a bit early in the proceedings. I liked the romance of the male leads together. There was a good amount of simmer between them, even when they were questioning if they should spend time together or not. The only part I felt ambiguous about was Kurt's need to drink before they got intimate, but I can see how he might have that need, given how his marriage has seemingly stagnated. There are humorous points in the movie, and most of the exotic locations were beautifully captured on film without overshadowing the actors or the plot. I would recommend "Happiness Adjacent" as a good date-night film. It's not exactly a feel-good movie, but it does bring to mind differing aspects of gay/bi romances.

This movie was okay, but it was kind of predictable.

Could have made the whole beginning scene much more comfortable for the viewer by the little dude having a convo with his whinny jewish mother on the phone. The second scene where they meet is also awkward and unrealistic. Western male social posturing in an environment such as this would be less guard down in appearance. These two were "acting" as if they were at a mutual friends dinner party meeting for the first time and offering something more like a placatory, proper introduction to be good guests. After that, I left!

after watching the first few minutes of a guy talking to himself and several unanimated objects in his room on board a ship I thought, ut oh...I am not gonna like this if this goes on... fortunately, for the most part, it did not. I got to very much like the people I met cruising on the ship. I enjoyed their foibles and hearts. I was impressed by the direction and the hard work of the crew (working on the film) after finding out the amount of time filming took. the acting was tight and never lost the characters we met. to end I am going to see this again and lend it out to my 'film' friends.

What could be a soapy dialogue and storyline, Rob Williams delivers. A departure from his known comically entertaining films such as SHARED ROOMS, MAKE THE YULTIDE GAY, and LONG TERM RELATIONSHIP, Williams jouneyed to uncharted territory with a storyline about what gay men dread to face. Falling for someone you know you can't have. This DREAM TRIO of an Ensemble Adam Fried, Ian Dick, and Rachael Alig deliver Honest, Raw, and Strong performances. It shows how the unlikely meeting of people can put one on a journey to one's own self discovery. Do these characters find that successfully? Watch this BRILLIANTLY shot Film and see for yourself.