hyped garbage

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

The fantasy/sf genres are replete with stories of people going back in time to correct their mistakes or give advice to their past selves in order to have an effect on the future.But the problem with advice is that the smart don't need it and the stupid won't use it – and, as Booth Tarkington famously wrote in The Magnificent Ambersons, "Let me explain a little: I don't think he'll change—at twenty-one or twenty-two so many things appear solid and permanent and terrible which forty sees are nothing but disappearing miasma. Forty can't tell twenty about this; that's the pity of it! Twenty can find out only by getting to be forty." Philosophically, I am against this type of story because, in the end, we are defined by our choices. Danny Reyes/Zachery Wells doesn't have the courage to live with the choices he's made and build a better future having learned from experience. The idea of going back in time to talk to your past self and inform him of all the ways in which you screwed up your life is pure folly and an abdication of personal responsibility.However, I prefer to read the film as one generation of gay men giving valuable, fatherly guidance to another. An older gay man says to the twink, "Watch out, kid, gay life can be a minefield. Here's how to navigate it." Though the script provides a few cringe worthy moments in the first act, the solid direction and uniformly good performances make up for it. Sean Paul Lockhart proved to be a tremendous surprise; though his part was small, the former adult star turned in a performance with great emotional depth and sincerity. The kid isn't just a pretty face.This is one of the best gay titles I've screened in years.

Judas Kiss is a truly an excellent film in every way. Of course, Charlie David's performance was great but the big surprise was the performance of Sean Paul Lockhart (a.k.a Brent Corrigan.) He was spectacular in his role. The story line really made me think about my own life and the choices I've made. The production values are incredible, especially given it's an indie film. This is a movie you need to see more than once (twice for me so far) as little things you might miss the first time become more obvious the second time.This could easily be a main stream film regardless of the "gay content." J.T. and Carlos should be very proud.

I hope everyone has a chance to see this "fresh" movie. It is so refreshing to see a movie that infers no sexual labeling. While Judas Kiss has a "gay" edge to it, the movie does not wear it's sexual orientation on it's sleeve. It represents life as it should be, this story just happens to have gay characters in it. Real life should be so represented. Judas Kiss has it all, drama, humor, emotion, special effects, and most of all it makes you think. The different aspects of the movie are tied together by parentage. By that I mean each one of the scenes that are acted and portrayed very well, needed a parental hand to bring them together. Zachary/Danny are constantly challenged through out, but are always kept in line by the parental figures such as Old Man Welds, and the incomparable Mrs. Blossom, played by Laura Kinney, my favorite character by the way. I am not sure the main characters would have made the necessary transitions needed in the script, without the parentage. This movie has some very "hot" young stars as well. The entire cast was well thought out and portrayed, and I give major kudos to Director J.T. Tepnapa, Producer Carlos Pedraza, and Cinematographer Dave Berry, for their attention to details. I mean how can you go wrong with the University of Washington (Keystone University) as a backdrop! All in all, this movie pulls it all together at the right time and in the right spots, while still driving home it's message. It was entertaining, visually a home run, and I believe it has the potential to become a classic in it's own right and time. For me it was a must see, and it should be on your immediate "Bucket List" as well. Great Job everyone!

I had the chance to see Judas Kiss at the Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco this year, and walked away very pleased. Rare is the gay film with fantasy elements that makes it into a festival, and I can certainly see why this movie has been making the rounds.Judas Kiss deals with time travel without going into the sci-fi aspects of it. In fact, you're not even sure it's time travel, but whatever it is, it gives the characters a chance to reconsider some decisions and what might happen if some things had been done differently.The acting in this movie is excellent. Charlie David and Richard Harmon as two sides of a coin are outstanding. (Harmon is someone to keep an eye on.) Sean Paul Lockheart is very good as the innocent boy pining for someone who doesn't notice him. And Julie Morizawa is the best pal everyone wishes they had. She plays the part with enthusiasm and just the right amount of self-aware amusement to be adorable.The cinematography is rich and lovely, and the direction is fluid, keeping the movie moving and entertaining. The visual effects are very subtle and exactly right for the kind of non-descript time travel elements of the story. Most important, though, is that the story is a great exploration of integrity, regret, and hope. Even after a few months after seeing the movie, I find myself thinking about the characters, the situation, and what if.