Nuyorican barber Quique (Dennis Garcia) is hiding a secret from his friends – he’s gay and hooking up with men at night. Surround by ultra-masculine man including childhood friend Cuz (Keet Davis), Quique doesn’t feel that he can be honest about who he really is, and he struggles with his desires. A chance encounter with handsome Irishman Kevin (James Physick) results in a blossoming friendship that begins to raise eyebrows with Quique’s friends. Is Quique ready to accept who is he and be honest with his friends?
‘Barrio Boy’ is from film-maker Dennis Shinners and it’s based on the 2014 short film of the same name. Dennis Garcia reprises his role as Quique and for this new film version of the story, audiences get to see a lot more of the closeted character’s journey. The film quickly establishes that Quique is surrounded by men who likely wouldn’t be accepting of his sexuality, so that forces him to keep things on the down low. An early hook-up sees Quique treating his sexual partner pretty terribly, using him to get himself off and then becoming aggressive and defensive at the suggestion of anything more.
Quique’s introduction to Kevin opens his eyes to a world where he might be able to have an actual relationship, but when the new friendship attracts attention from Cuz and co, Quique starts to panic. Toxic behaviour ensues and you can see where the film is going very early on. One aspect that could have done with a little more exploration is the character of Kevin. When we first meet him he hooks up with a woman and as the film progresses, it’s clear that he’s interested in Quique. There’s no real attempt to define, or explain, what Kevin’s sexuality is and this feels like a missed opportunity.
The performances in the film are fine. Dennis Garcia is solid enough as Quique but he struggles to tap into the film’s more emotional moments. James Physick is stronger as Kevin but his character is barely developed and feels like a plot device rather than a well-rounded person. The two actors don’t get enough time to foster a true chemistry so their romance doesn’t quite land the way it needs to.
‘Barrio Boy’ has an interesting concept at its heart but it doesn’t dig deep enough to tell a truly compelling story. The film’s conclusion isn’t as satisfying as I wanted it to be, and it doesn’t really feel like Quique learns much from his summer exploits. The 80-minute run-time means the film still has to be pretty lean, and I feel it could have done with an extra 10-20 minutes. Fans of the short will appreciate this new take, but the film doesn’t deliver the payoff you hope it will.
Cast: Dennis Garcia, James Physick, Keet Davis, Manny Ureña, Pierre Jean Gonzalez Director: Dennis Shinners Writer: Dennis Shinners Certificate: 15 Duration: 80 mins Released by: Peccadillo Pictures Release date: 17th February 2025
