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WATCH: A hookup gets too messy for one guy to handle in this intimate festival fave short film

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Image Credit: ‘Come Clean,’ Sal Bardo

The thing about hookups is, they can get a little messy (and we’re not just talking about the drama of it all, but yeah that too).

And while most don’t mind a little cleanup for the right special guest, for others, it’s a real process—letting someone into your neat little world can cause a lot of anxiety.

Those complicated feelings are at the heart of the short film Come Clean, the latest from writer/director Sal Bardo (whose 2013 short Chaser remains a controversial must-see over a decade later).

The film follows Kel (Ben Church)—a young man living with OCD—over an emotional roller coaster of a night as he hurriedly cleans and prepares for the arrival of a Grindr date, Nate (James Hayden Rodriguez, known for his role in Broadway’s The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical).

But just when things start to heat up with Nate, Kel’s mind gets to racing, and suddenly he’s aware of every single germ he’s inviting into his safe space. Can Nate help him overcome his fears and embrace the pleasures of connection and intimacy?

Image Credit: ‘Come Clean,’ Sal Bardo

According to the International O.C.D. Foundation, about one in every 100 adults are currently living with obsessive compulsive disorder, and Come Clean depicts the realities of this in a way seldom seen on screen.

And, for Bardo, the short comes from a very personal place—and not just because of the need for greater mental health advocacy and resources within the LGBTQ+ community.

“I didn’t touch another human being for more than a year because of COVID,” Bardo shares in a press statement for the film. “And I started thinking about what that does to someone—mentally, emotionally, and physically—and how even before the pandemic connecting with people was becoming harder and harder. We can log onto Grindr and find out how many feet away a guy is, or what every inch of his body looks like, and yet feel more and more isolated.”

Related:

WATCH: 10 years later, this controversial gay film is a snapshot of a time before PrEP

“‘Chaser’ [is] a snapshot in time, reflecting a period of transition and divisiveness in the gay community.”

After a successful festival run (including Outfest in Los Angeles, the Big Apple Film Festival, Image Nation: The Montreal LGBTQ+ Film Festival, and more), Come Clean is now available to rent and watch online via Vimeo, and even has a new trailer which you can watch below.

At just 13 minutes, Bardo’s short is well worth a watch, seamlessly blending together moments of humor, introspection, sexiness and sweetness, anchored by vulnerable performances from Church and Hayden Rodriguez.

And, sure, it doesn’t hurt that both stars are very easy on the eyes. If you somehow still need more convincing to check out Come Clean for yourself, scroll down for some of our favorites shots of each of the actors below:

Related:

This checklist for young guys who host their hook-ups is going viral & everyone has thoughts

Listen up, twinks!

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