Riley (film)

Riley
Poster
Directed byBenjamin Howard
Written byBenjamin Howard
Produced by
  • Tommy Anderson
  • Benjamin Howard
  • Laura Scarano
Starring
CinematographyMichael Elias Thomas
Edited byBenjamin Howard
Music byJerik Centeno
Production
companies
  • Charthouse
  • Windsor Film Company
Distributed byDark Star Pictures
Release dates
Running time
93 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Riley is a 2023 American coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Benjamin Howard in his feature film debut. The film stars Jake Holley, Colin McCalla, Riley Quinn Scott, Connor Storrie and Rib Hillis.

The film screened at the Calgary International Film Festival and the BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival, where it was met with generally positive reviews.

Plot

Dakota Riley is a star wide receiver and rising senior at Middleton High School in suburban San Diego, living under intense pressure from his father, the school’s head football coach, to secure a college scholarship. Though he presents himself as heterosexual, Riley privately struggles with his attraction to other boys, particularly his quarterback and best friend, Jaeden Galloway.

While dating a classmate, Skylar, Riley grows increasingly conflicted about his identity. A friendship with openly gay classmate Liam further forces him to confront his feelings, placing strain on his relationship with Skylar and creating tension within his social circle. As Riley navigates secrecy, guilt, and fear of damaging his football future, his internal conflict begins to affect his behavior both on and off the field.

After a series of emotional confrontations and misunderstandings, Riley starts to accept his sexuality. He comes out to Skylar, and the two part amicably. Jaeden reassures Riley of his support and agrees to keep his secret. Before a crucial rivalry game, Riley sees Skylar and Liam in the crowd and delivers a motivational speech to his teammates, signaling a growing sense of self-acceptance despite the pressures he still faces.

Cast

  • Jake Holley as Dakota Riley
  • Colin McCalla as Jaeden Galloway
  • Riley Quinn Scott as Skylar Braxton
  • Connor Storrie as Liam Hauser
  • Rib Hillis as Carson Riley
  • J.B. Waterman as 'Obi Wan' Hookup
  • René Ashton as Miriam Riley
  • Marcus Winchester-Jones as Desmond
  • Nigel Siwabessy as Hector
  • Dallas Perry as Caleb Mitchell
  • Alyssa Latson as Courtney
  • Caroline Amiguet as Madame Dupont / French Teacher
  • Miranda Guiles as Student
  • Hunter Linton as Football Player
  • Jose Rico as Football Player
  • Sadie Scott as College Student
  • Luca Vega as Football Player
  • Gaines Carter as Football Player
  • Kaleti Williams as Coach Drey

Production

The film is Howard's feature film debut[2] and is semi-autobiographical, with the film being based on his own experience as a student athlete.[3] It was crowdfunded with the help of Seed&Spark[4] and principal photography took place in April 2022, in and around East County, San Diego.[3]

Release

Riley held its world premiere at Calgary International Film Festival on September 24, 2023.[3] The US premiere took place at Bend Film Festival in Bend, Oregon.[5] It later screened at San Diego Film Week,[6] Sedona International Film Festival,[7] San Luis Obispo International Film Festival,[8] and Florida Film Festival.[9] The European premiere was held at BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival in 2024.[10]

Reception

Critical response

Vidal Dcosta at The Movie Buff gave the film an A+ claiming it "excels at tackling multiple issues that plague the protagonist."[11] Ris Fatah at Queerguru scored the film 9/10 and said "Howard's feature-length drama is an impressive, authentic debut."[12] Rich Cline at Shadows on the Wall scored it 4 out of 5, saying "as the drama gets increasingly serious, the film grabs hold powerfully. So even if things begin to turn a bit melodramatic, there's truth in the way the story plays out."[13] Neil Baker at Cinerama Film praised the screenplay as it "captures a realism rarely seen in coming-of-age, coming-out movies."[14] Josh Winning at Radio Times scored it 3 out of 5 saying it has "sincere and beautifully shot exploration of young people figuring out their place in the world."[15]

Accolades

Festival Year Award Recipient(s) Result
BendFilm Festival 2023 Best Cinematography Michael Elias Thomas Nominated
Best Directing, Narrative Feature Benjamin Howard Nominated
Best Narrative Feature Benjamin Howard Nominated
Calgary International Film Festival 2023 International Narrative Competition Benjamin Howard Nominated
San Diego Film Week 2023 Best Drama Feature Film Riley Won
Florida Film Festival 2024 Best Narrative Feature Benjamin Howard Nominated
Riverside International Film Festival 2024 Audience Favorite Benjamin Howard Won
Founder's Award Benjamin Howard Won
Woods Hole Film Festival 2024 Best Feature - Drama Benjamin Howard Won
Bentonville Film Festival 2024 Narrative Feature Competition Benjamin Howard Nominated
Merlinka Festival 2024 Best Feature Film Benjamin Howard Nominated

References

  1. ^ "Riley (15)". British Board of Film Classification. January 13, 2026. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
  2. ^ Scheetz, Cameron (September 26, 2023). "WATCH: A closeted football player tackles identity & masculinity in this coming-of-age sports drama". Queerty. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Chadive, Sanjana (September 23, 2023). "'Riley': A UCLA alumnus' love letter to community and queer youth". Daily Bruin. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  4. ^ Bernstein, Paula (October 30, 2023). "BendFilm Festival 2023: What Filmmakers Need to Know Before Applying to Film Festivals | Filmmaker Magazine". Filmmaker Magazine. Archived from the original on October 31, 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  5. ^ Fortner, Jillian (October 13, 2023). "Bend Film Festival moviegoers celebrate two decades of captivating cinema". KTVZ. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  6. ^ Kahnert, Eric (November 15, 2023). 'Riley' premieres at San Diego Film Week. KFMB-TV. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  7. ^ "Sedona International Film Festival "Riley" Screening - Signals AZ". Signals AZ. February 14, 2024. Archived from the original on March 30, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  8. ^ "RILEY | SAN LUIS OBISPO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL". March 18, 2024. Archived from the original on March 30, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  9. ^ "2024 Florida Film Festival". Eventive. Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  10. ^ "38th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival full programme announced". BFI. February 13, 2024. Archived from the original on April 4, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  11. ^ Dcosta, Vidal (March 10, 2024). "'Riley' BFI Flare Review (2023)". The Movie Buff. Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  12. ^ Fatah, Ris (October 1, 2023). "Queerguru's Ris Fatah reviews RILEY a beautiful queer coming-of-age film from Benjamin Howard". Queerguru. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  13. ^ Cline, Rich (March 15, 2024). "Shadows on the Wall | Arthouse Films". Shadows on the Wall. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  14. ^ Baker, Neil (March 13, 2024). "Riley (review) - BFI Flare 2024". Cinerama Film. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  15. ^ Winning, Josh (March 16, 2024). "Riley (2023)". Radio Times. Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
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