Dinner parties can either be boozy or snoozy—it all depends on the guest list.
But in the new film Albatross, from gay filmmaker Myles Yaksich, the mixed company at one intimate soirée makes things downright deadly.
Set in 1959, this dramatic thriller brings together two very different couples for a night destined for disaster the minute one greets the other at the door. The guests are young intellectuals Thomas (Romaine Waite) and Elizabeth (Katherine Gauthier), a biracial couple who have been ostracized by their family.
Immediately they’re met with microaggressions from their hosts, an older country club couple who give off terrible vibes. There’s Carol (Sarah Orenstein), an uptight artist, and Lloyd (David Keeley), a psychiatrist with peculiar methods and a barely veiled proclivity for his younger male patients. They have issues.
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Things only get worse from there as the mealtime discussion grows tense and Lloyd decides to drug Thomas’ drinks. Soon, everyone’s getting psychoanalyzed, old secrets are revealed, and—somehow—it all relates to repeated flashbacks from decades prior, where two strapping gay men roll around on the beach, unaware they’re being watched.
Others have pointed out that Albatross is clearly influenced by Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf and Get Out, which are quite lofty aspirations. But even if it can’t quite keep company with those classics, Yaksich’s film clearly has a lot of compelling ideas on its mind—about race, class, sexuality—and it sure looks gorgeous, bringing Mid-Century New England setting to life with sumptuous detail.
After playing film festivals and a limited theatrical run in Los Angeles, Albatross is now available to rent and own on various digital VOD platforms like iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, Vudu, and more.
JRamonMc
Very intense movie. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it was artistic, beautifully filmed and the acting was outstanding. Very thought provoking.