HomeGay FocusThe Falls DVD review

The Falls DVD review

Mormon teenager RJ (Nick Ferrucci) travels to Oregon to serve his first mission. On arrival he discovers heā€™s sharing a room with Chris (Ben Farmer), the missionary who will be his partner for the mission. As they preach the Gospel by knocking on strangersā€™ doors, the two boys start to uncover secrets in their own lives. Before long the two fall in love and navigate the murky waters of homosexuality and religion whilst trying to keep their relationship a secret.

The FallsĀ treads a very well-worn path by exploring the often conflicting relationship between homosexuality and religion. Ā The premise ofĀ The FallsĀ promises to be bold but sadly it fails to offer anything new that we havenā€™t seen a hundred times over, and done better. The movie recalls the superiorĀ Latter DaysĀ and never really gets under the skin of the issues itā€™s trying to address. RJ and Chris donā€™t seem to have much hesitation about jumping into bed together and they are so careless itā€™s no surprise when the inevitable happens.

Other scenes in the movie fail to ring true too. At one point the boys revisit a man they met whilst knocking on doors. As they talk to him they try smoking weed, again with little hesitation about doing so. A story like this benefits from personal struggles and battles and you only start to get a glimpse of this when the love affair between the two boys is uncovered.

The performances inĀ The FallsĀ donā€™t grab you either. Ferrucci and Farmer are ok in their roles but they donā€™t make you want to root for their characters. We felt strangely indifferent to what was unfolding as the film fails to engage you early on. The direction from Jon Garcia feels very loose and his writing isnā€™t polished enough to provide a gripping story to keep you interested throughout the filmā€™s 90 minutes.

The FallsĀ is a disappointing movie that doesnā€™t deliver on its promise. With a half-baked storyline and no particularly strong performances, weā€™d say itā€™s best to give this one a miss. Films such asĀ The SeminarianĀ andĀ Latter Dayscover similar ground and weā€™d recommend checking those out instead as theyā€™re much better.

‘The Falls’ is released on 14th January in the UK.

Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip is the owner and Editor of Entertainment Focus, and the Managing Director of PiƱata Media. With over 19 years of journalism experience, Pip has interviewed some of the biggest stars in the entertainment world. He is also a qualified digital marketing expert with over 20 years of experience.

Must Read

Advertisement