Riley is a 2023 American coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Benjamin Howard in his feature film debut. The film stars Jake Holley, Colin McCalla, Riley Quinn Scott, Connor Storrie and Rib Hillis.
| Riley | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | Benjamin Howard |
| Written by | Benjamin Howard |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Michael Elias Thomas |
| Edited by | Benjamin Howard |
| Music by | Jerik Centeno |
Production company | Windsor Film Company |
Release date |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The film screened at Calgary International Film Festival and BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival where it was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews.
Plot
editDakota Riley's life of being a high school jock becomes complicated once he discovers that he identifies as queer.
Cast
edit- Jake Holley as Dakota Riley
- Colin McCalla as Jaeden Galloway
- Riley Quinn Scott as Skylar Braxton
- Connor Storrie as Liam Hauser
- Rib Hillis as Carson Riley
- J.B. Waterman as 'Obi Wan' Hookup
- René Ashton as Miriam Riley
- Marcus Winchester-Jones as Desmond
- Nigel Siwabessy as Hector
- Dallas Perry as Caleb Mitchell
- Alyssa Latson as Courtney
- Caroline Amiguet as Madame Dupont / French Teacher
- Miranda Guiles as Student
- Hunter Linton as Football Player
- Jose Rico as Football Player
- Sadie Scott as College Student
- Luca Vega as Football Player
- Kaleti Williams as Coach Drey
Production
editThe film is Howard's feature film debut[1] and is semi-autobiographical, with the film being based on his own experience as a student athlete.[2] It was crowdfunded with the help of Seed&Spark[3] and principal photography took place in East County, San Diego.[2]
Release
editRiley held its world premiere at Calgary International Film Festival on September 24, 2023.[2] The US premiere took place at Bend Film Festival in Bend, Oregon.[4] It later screened at San Diego Film Week,[5] Sedona International Film Festival,[6] San Luis Obispo International Film Festival,[7] and Florida Film Festival.[8] The European premiere was held at BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival in 2024.[9]
Reception
editCritical response
editVidal Dcosta at The Movie Buff gave the film an A+ claiming it "excels at tackling multiple issues that plague the protagonist."[10] Ris Fatah at Queerguru scored the film 9/10 and said "Howard's feature-length drama is an impressive, authentic debut."[11] Rich Cline at Shadows on the Wall scored it 4 out of 5, saying "as the drama gets increasingly serious, the film grabs hold powerfully. So even if things begin to turn a bit melodramatic, there's truth in the way the story plays out."[12] Neil Baker at Cinerama Film praised the screenplay as it "captures a realism rarely seen in coming-of-age, coming-out movies."[13] Josh Winning at Radio Times scored it 3 out of 5 saying it has "sincere and beautifully shot exploration of young people figuring out their place in the world."[14]
Accolades
edit| Festival | Year | Award | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BendFilm Festival | 2023 | Best Cinematography | Michael Elias Thomas | Nominated |
| Best Directing, Narrative Feature | Benjamin Howard | Nominated | ||
| Best Narrative Feature | Benjamin Howard | Nominated | ||
| Calgary International Film Festival | 2023 | International Narrative Competition | Benjamin Howard | Nominated |
| San Diego Film Week | 2023 | Best Drama Feature Film | Riley | Won |
References
edit- ^ Scheetz, Cameron (2023-09-26). "WATCH: A closeted football player tackles identity & masculinity in this coming-of-age sports drama". Queerty. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ a b c Chadive, Sanjana (2023-09-23). "'Riley': A UCLA alumnus' love letter to community and queer youth". Daily Bruin. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ Bernstein, Paula (2023-10-30). "BendFilm Festival 2023: What Filmmakers Need to Know Before Applying to Film Festivals | Filmmaker Magazine". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
- ^ Fortner, Jillian (2023-10-13). "Bend Film Festival moviegoers celebrate two decades of captivating cinema". KTVZ. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
- ^ Kahnert, Eric (2023-11-15). 'Riley' premieres at San Diego Film Week. KFMB-TV. Retrieved 2023-11-18.
- ^ "Sedona International Film Festival "Riley" Screening - Signals AZ". Signals AZ. 2024-02-14. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ "RILEY | SAN LUIS OBISPO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL". 2024-03-18. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ "2024 Florida Film Festival". Eventive. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ "38th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival full programme announced". BFI. 2024-02-13. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ Dcosta, Vidal (2024-03-10). "'Riley' BFI Flare Review (2023)". The Movie Buff. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ Fatah, Ris (2023-10-01). "Queerguru's Ris Fatah reviews RILEY a beautiful queer coming-of-age film from Benjamin Howard". Queerguru. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ Cline, Rich (2024-03-15). "Shadows on the Wall | Arthouse Films". Shadows on the Wall. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ Baker, Neil (2024-03-13). "Riley (review) - BFI Flare 2024". Cinerama Film. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ Winning, Josh (2024-03-16). "Riley (2023)". Radio Times. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
External links
edit- Riley at IMDb
- Riley at Letterboxd
- Riley at Rotten Tomatoes
- Interview with Holley at ECHO