Barrio Boy


Barrio Boy is a 2022 American LGBTQ romance film written and directed by Dennis Shinners. It is a remake of a 2014 Short film by the same name. It follows a Nuyorican barber named Quique as he falls in love with a stranger he met in Brooklyn.

Plot

The plot follows Quique, a homosexual Nuyorican barber living in Brooklyn, who notices how his neighborhood has been changing in recent years. He is on a journey of self-discovery meeting men on dating apps when he realizes he is unhappy with his choice of partners. It is only when he happens upon a young Irish man, Kevin, at a basketball court that he begins to fall in love. Kevin is in Brooklyn due to the passing of his father and his need to settle the affairs surrounding his father's death. However, as Kevin and Quique's budding romance begins to deepen, Quique's homophobic old friend, Cuz, begins to threaten their relationship. Now Quique must learn to accept himself and reject the macho culture he has grown up in, or lose the love he is beginning to feel for Kevin.

Cast

  • Dennis Garcia - Quique
  • James Physick - Kevin
  • Keet Davis - Cuz
  • Manny Ureña - Jorge
  • Pierre Jean Gonzalez - Rafa
  • Michael Borrelli - Seth
  • Teresa Yenque - Abuela Rosa
  • Caitlin Mehner - Shelly
  • Andrea Morales - Nieves

    Production

This movie was produced by Crystal McIntosh as well as Dennis Shinners. The production companies handling the film were Cautious Films, The Lavender Tangent, and I Ain't Playin' Films.

Reception

Barrio Boy has received both praise and negative reviews, making it a somewhat polarizing film.
Phuong Le of The Guardian writes about Barrio Boy, "Charismatic lead aside, a sketchy script and surfeit of stereotypes blight this tale of a secret gay love affair among New York's Latino community." The movie received 3 stars out of 5.
On movie rating websites such as Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has been subject to some criticism.