be gay, do crime

Is Lukas Gage and Zachary Quinto’s raunchy, gay sex comedy about to be our new favorite movie?

By · Updated on January 26, 2024
Lukas Gage has his arm Zachary Quinto as the two pose for a photoshoot in a salmon-colored studio.
Image Credit: Getty Images

While we were all getting our Oscar predictions in order, this weekend’s other big movie event was the SXSW festival in Austin, TX, which premiered a number of buzzy titles we’re sure to be talking about all year long.

(For the record, this year’s Best Picture winner Everything Everywhere All At Once? Yup, it premiered at SXSW in 2022!)

Among our most anticipated was Down Low, a dark comedy with one hell of a logline: “A deeply repressed man, the uninhibited young man that gives him a happy ending, and all the lives they ruin along the way.” Say no more—we’re sold!

But it gets even better: The film co-stars and was co-written by hunk du jour Lukas Gage, solidifying a major moment for this young star on the rise. (And, yes, his rumored boyfriend Chris Appleton was at the premiere to support!)

Related:

Lukas Gage kinda sorta addresses those gay relationship rumors

“I’m a pretty open book about most things in my life.”

Gage wrote the movie alongside pal Phoebe Fisher, who have said they were inspired by a viewing of Pretty Woman, deciding then and there that they wanted to see a version of the Julia Roberts classic that was queer and “a little bit more insane.”

Thus, Down Low was born, directed by queer filmmaker Rightor Doyle (Netflix‘s Bonding).

Gage stars as Cameron, the aforementioned “uninhibited young man,” who is hired by the wealthy, closeted Gary—played by Zachary Quinto—for a full body massage. And we do mean full. But it sounds like nothing goes as planned, and the two make a mess of things, escalating with one bad decision after the other.

Making things even more exciting is a supporting cast that includes Broadway legend Audra McDonald, prolific character actress Judith Light, and adult film star-turned actor Simon Rex. Sign us up!

Talking to Variety ahead of the film’s premiere, Quinto said he was drawn to the story because of its “unabashed” gayness. “It didn’t apologize for itself. It was the first thing I’ve done since the pandemic, and it was exciting to come do something unique and singular.”

Image Credit: ‘Down Low,’ FilmNation Entertainment

And it sure sounds singular, with advance word calling Down Low “hysterical,” “raunchy,” and “inappropriate” (non-derogatory). As the Variety piece notes, the film is full of “WTF moments” we wouldn’t dare spoil here.

Speaking to just how far his movie goes, Gage positions it as a reaction to the bout of feel-good, family-friendly LGBTQ+ stories we’ve seen of late:

“This is not to bash Love, Simon or any of those coming-of-age gay movies,” Gage says, “but I want to see queer people and characters and situations where it’s not just about how being gay is okay,” says Gage. “I wanted to situate LGBTQ people in a different genre. I wanted to have queer characters and not just have it be a queer story of ‘it’s okay to be gay and love ourselves.”

Related:

Zachary Quinto says there are still tons of gay male celebrities afraid to come out

When Zachary Quinto came out in 2011, he said “living a gay life without publicly acknowledging it” was “simply not enough.”

While we eagerly await a trailer—or even a release date—reactions out of SXSW will have to hold us over. Thankfully, the positive buzz is keeping us fed, with lucky early viewers logging on to Twitter to sing its praises:

Here are just a few of the responses to Down Low that are rocketing the film to the top of our must-see list:

And here’s one more pic of Gage and Quinto on the SXSW red carpet, for good luck:

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