A man hoping to move out of the closet falls into a trap of drug-fueled hedonism in this cautionary drama. John (Jonathan Wade Drahos) is a police officer from a small town who is forced to leave his career behind when it is discovered that he's gay. Hoping to find more tolerant surroundings, John moves to West Hollywood and rents an apartment with Nina (Kiersten Warren), an old friend from his high school days. One night, John attends a party where he meets Hector (Andre Khabazzi), an
attractive hustler with whom he quickly strikes up a relationship. Hector is a regular on the L.A. party circuit, and John soon falls in with him, but the endless barrage of music, drugs, and anonymous sex proves more than John can handle, and he soon develops a dangerous dependence on amphetamines. William Katt, Nancy Allen, and Bruce Vilanch also appear in the supporting cast. Circuit had its premiere at the 2001 L.A. Outfest, a festival devoted to gay and lesbian-themed films. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
The film itself is about something very interesting and odd that would probably work better as a real documentary without the insinuation of mediocre acting or a fairly trite narrative.
What's most memorable about Circuit is that it's shot on digital video, whose tiny camera enables Shafer to navigate spaces both large ... and small ... with considerable aplomb.
It's a thin notion, repetitively stretched out to feature length, awash in self-consciously flashy camera effects, droning house music and flat, flat dialogue.
Be warned, this is not for the squeamish. This raw and true to form story of being a Circuit boy, is shocking and beautifully filmed with some gorgeous men.
September 13, 2009
Bobby Steele
This is an interesting movie. I wish it were exaggerating the circuit life, but I suspect not. Fortunately, the circuit does not represent all of gay life or all gay men.
No quotes approved yet for Circuit. Logged in users can submit quotes.
Submit a Quote from 'Circuit'
A quote can be a single line from one character or a memorable dialog between several characters. Please make your quotes accurate. Quotes will be submitted for approval by the RT staff.
Example:
Luke: Alright. I'll give it a try. Yoda: No. Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.
Top Critic
