Catalina

Synopsis

Gus, Will, and Brian have been fast friends since middle school. Now in their mid-twenties, Gus is the only one to have left their hometown for New York City, immersing himself in the queer community and finally coming into his own. He returns home for a weekend camping with “the boys” on Catalina Island, and must find new common ground now that he has changed, while discovering how his friends have changed too.

Having always revered the charming and driven Will – whose once bright future is now uncertain – the dynamic of their friendship is inverted. Faced with this, Gus must reconcile with their past, how they’ve changed, and the new ways in which they may need each other.

Over the course of the weekend, Gus becomes increasingly aware of Will’s admiration of him and his affection. This stirs in Gus dormant feelings of confusion and attraction to Will. After a late night conversation over the campfire, during which Will confesses to dropping out of law school and being totally adrift in life, Gus interprets Will’s attempt to seek comfort, and goes in for the kiss; only to be gently rejected.

In the cool light of morning, however, it is clear that as fraught as it is to grow up and apart from old friends, the shared love between them is stronger, and the friendship is very much intact.