Movie

The Houseboy

2007 · 81 min

A quiet, melancholic character study that lingers on loneliness and longing, with moments of raw intimacy and fragile hope.

Tagline: When the cat's away...
Overview: Distraught after he overhears his two 30-something lovers talking about finding a new "toy" to replace him, young Ricky looks for love through a series of random sexual encounters while house-sitting for the couple over the Christmas holidays. Meanwhile, he contemplates suicide. But when Ricky meets a compassionate new friend, he may be experiencing the sparks of real love in this compelling and sexy gay drama.
How it feels: Melancholic, dark, romantic and earnest. Slow-burning and needs your attention.
About: Loneliness, identity, love, isolation
Content: Strong sexual content and language. Mild violence. No gore.
Note: Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Full breakdown

Tone: melancholicstrength 3 of 3
darkstrength 2 of 3
romanticstrength 2 of 3
earneststrength 1 of 3
Pacing: slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: loneliness
identity
love
isolation
sexuality
Places: big city
home
Era: contemporary
Audience: adult
Form: None
Content intensity: Gore none
Language strong
Violence mild
Sex strong