Pepijn (Wieger Windhorst) and Sjors (Kevin Hassing) have been in a relationship for seven-years. With plans to travel the world together, the couple hit a bump when Sjors invites student Cas (Felix Meyer) to sleep on their sofa without asking Pepijn. Quickly Pepijn begins to obsess over Sjors relationship with Cas and it brings out insecurities in their relationship. He soon begins to fall for Cas’ charms and after returning home following a drunken night out, Pepijn finds his relationship tested when both he and Sjors cross a line with Cas.
Cas was originally released as a short on Dekkoo and it manages to pack a lot into its 50-minute run time. Essentially Cas is an exploration of a long-term relationship where two people have become comfortable and forgotten how to voice their wants and needs. Pepijn is desperate to travel around the world for 6 months but Sjors is more interested in working at his new job and planning a family. Cas’ arrival makes both men think about what they actually want and they’re excited by having a hot, young lodger living with them.
One of the things that’s interesting to watch unfold is Pepijn’s attitude towards Cas. At first he’s concerned that Sjors is cheating on him but as he gets to know Cas, he realises that he’s actually very attracted to him. That results in him wanting Cas to leave but it’s actually Pepijn that decides to act on his impulses. The way his decision impacts on his relationship after that point is the crux of this engaging and emotive short.
For me Wieger Windhorst gives a standout performance in Cas. He’s really displays the range of emotions that Pepijn goes through and he’s fantastic to watch. Windhorst creates chemistry with both Hassing and Meyer but it’s the moments he’s on screen alone just reacting to the situation around him that are remarkable.
Cas has been packaged with two other Dekkoo shorts – Bed Buddies and Tri-Curious. Bed Buddies finds three friends exploring their feelings for one another after they end up sleeping together and Tri-Curious captures a moment of last minute anxiety between a couple about to embark on their firat threesome. Both shorts are enjoyable but they aren’t up the same standard as Cas.
The reason to buy this release really is for Cas. It’s a superb short and it explores some themes that I’m sure are very relevant to lots of same-sex couples. Cas is a fascinating look at a long-term relationship where the two people involved have stopped communicating properly. By the time the credits roll their situation has changed massively but they’ve both learned a lot along the way. Watching them reach that conclusion is riveting.
[brid video=”220121″ player=”531″ title=”CAS Trailer Dekkoo.com The premiere gay streaming service!”]
Cast: Kevin Hassing, Wieger Windhorst, Felix Meyer, Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing, Job Raaijmakers Director: Joris van den Berg Writer: Bastiaan Tichler Certificate: 18 Duration: 73 mins Released by: TLA Releasing Release date: 23rd April 2018
