On the Downlow

On the Downlow is the first film directed by Tadeo Garcia, released in 2004. It is a low-budget film starring Michael Cortez and Tony Sancho.
It was released on DVD on January 9, 2007.
The film was expanded from director Tadeo Garcia's 2000 short film Broken Warning.

Synopsis

On the Downlow is a love story set in Little Village, Chicago, between Angel and Isaac, two warm, supportive and sensitive young men. Their affection to each other is shown through a long kiss in a dark alley in Chicago and, later on, in a musical sequence in the film. Isaac also questions his sexuality in a long confession with a priest in the church.
Angel, in order to be with his secret lover Isaac, gives up his allegiance to his former Latin Kings gang and pledges to Isaac's Southside Chicago's Two Six gang led by Reaper after a cruel initiation beating. Although the film uses the names of actual gangs in the area, the introduction to the film says there is no direct relationship to the actual gang names used.
When Reaper is later informed that Angel is an ex-gang member of the rival Latin Kings gang, he decides that Isaac should kill him. Issac desperately tries to arrange for him and Angel to escape Chicago but the inevitable happens and the gang captures Angel. When Isaac refuses to execute Angel, Reaper does it. Isaac then kills Reaper and commits suicide.

Cast

Michael Cortez as Angel
Tony Sancho as Isaac
Donato Cruz as Reaper
Beatriz Jamaica as Angel's Mother
Carmen Cenko as Isaac's Mother

;in alphabetical order

Felipe Camacho as Priest
Eric Ambriz as Jimmy
Jimmy Borras Jr. as Niko
Juan Castaneda as Hector
Eddie Cruz as Esau
Jason R. Davis as Store Customer
Jeff Docherty as Dorvak's Partner
Perry Flores as Officer Dorvak
Russell Foster as Man in Yard
Ricardo Garcia as Jesus
Nicolas Gomez as Ozzy
Brian Parenti as Pinto
Adelina Quinones as Laura
Octavio Rivas as Raul
Jonathan Rodriquez as Adam
Pricilla Santiago as Burger Joint Girl
Roberto Soto as Store Owner
Tatiana Suarez-Pico as Mother on Stairs
Andrew Todaro as Mike

Awards

Won "Best Narrative Feature Film" at the New York Newfest Film Festival.

Critical reception

Variety wrote in its review, "Broadening the thematic horizon of gay features isn't enough to compensate for pedestrian handling, as witnessed by "On the Down Low," an amateurish if well-intentioned attempt to merge a Latino gang theme with doomed gay love. An original subject is hampered by poor timing and by-the-numbers scene set-ups."