New Queer Film ‘Fire Island’ Receives Mixed Reviews in China
Though it's reportedly the first mainstream rom-com to focus on gay Asian men, the film has received lukewarm reactions in China
On June 3, Hulu released Fire Island, a new queer film directed by Korean American filmmaker Andrew Ahn.
The film follows a group of queer best friends attending an annual rager on New York’s Fire Island, an island strongly associated with the gay community.
Reportedly the first mainstream rom-com to focus on gay Asian men, the film explores anti-Asian bias and the fetishization of Asian men.
However, both American and Chinese audiences seem to agree that Fire Island could have been better. Some watchers felt disappointed by the rigid storyline and mediocre writing.
“I thought it’d be a bold experiment, but it’s just the gay version of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ set in the 21st century,” lamented a netizen on movie review site Douban.
While Fire Island has undoubtedly improved upon Asian gay representation, audience reception in China has proven that there is still progress to be made in terms of quality.