Fireworks in the Deep – Movie Review

Phong and Nam fell in love on a beach vacation.

Phong and Nam first met on a beach. While swimming at the beach, Phong suddenly hurt his leg and nearly drowned. Luckily, Nam rescued him just in time. After surviving this near-death experience, the two men get to know each other and quickly hit it off. Phong shared that he was travelling alone to escape work stress. Nam revealed he was doing the same. What a coincidence!

Phong and Nam quickly fell in love. They get drunk and sing their hearts out together. Phong shouts how much he loves his boyfriend, while Nam laughs and yells the same thing back. Back at the resort, the lovebirds can't keep their hands off each other. Their physical chemistry is definitely there. Phong even buys them matching necklaces, which Nam cherishes. Considering they only met while on vacation, this romance is moving pretty fast. But hey, these guys seem serious about making their relationship work.

Once their vacation ends, Phong and Nam return to their busy lives. Phong is an up-and-coming actor who gets plenty of gigs. He's not exactly a superstar, but people are starting to recognize him in public. Meanwhile, Nam earns a steady income as a salaryman. He needs the money to support his parents and siblings. Both have good reasons to focus on their careers, which means their relationship gets pushed aside. Between their hectic schedules, these boyfriends barely spend any time together. Where did all that beachside passion go?

Phong and Nam revisit the beach to save their romance.

Phong decides it's time to save their romance, so he plans another trip to the beach where they first met. A romantic reunion? Sounds promising! Except Phong admits he wasn't even sure if Nam would agree to come. Nam does make time for the trip, but something feels off between them. Where are all the lovey-dovey moments? Instead, these guys exchange polite small talk. They seem so disconnected that neither knows what's happening in the other's life.

Things get even more uncomfortable during their first dinner. Phong drinks way too much and starts spilling all the relationship problems on his mind. He tells Nam, "We're nothing to each other anymore." Later that night, Nam carries his drunken boyfriend back to their resort room. Being in the same room triggers a vivid flashback to one of their steamy nights together. Now, Phong lies in bed while Nam leaves him alone. Phong quietly asks, "Do you not have feelings for me?" Nam avoids the question and doesn't reply.

Fireworks in the Deep takes place on a sunny beach. Look at that blue sea! Look at the white sand! The scenery is so gorgeous that it makes me wanna pack my bags and go on vacation. I like how the beach changes its appearance depending on the time of day. Under the bright sunshine, it looks like a tropical paradise. When night falls, the atmosphere becomes darker. The sea turns almost pitch black, creating an ominous backdrop for the couple's confrontation. Suddenly, that romantic beach doesn't seem so romantic anymore.

The story takes place on the same beach during two different vacations. The first time, Phong and Nam are in love. The second time, they've grown apart. I like how Fireworks in the Deep shows us their relationship then and now. We see how happy they used to be, but those flashbacks feel bittersweet because their romance has lost its spark. Most BL dramas focus on the exciting part where two guys fall in love. I find this movie interesting because it shows what happens after the honeymoon phase is over. We don't know if Phong and Nam will stay together. Can these lovebirds save their romance? Or are they doomed?

I like the concept behind this movie, but the execution is clumsy. My biggest problem is that I barely got to know the characters. Who are these guys? Phong is an actor. Nam works with… spreadsheets, I think? It's hard to find anything interesting to say about them. When the couple spends time together, they make meaningless chit-chat like, "Oh, try this shrimp!" A good storyteller would use these scenes for character development. Why not write a more personal conversation? Tell us something about their pasts. Help us understand why they're having relationship problems.

I wish Fireworks in the Deep spent more time showing Phong & Nam when they first fell in love. The movie includes a few flashbacks, but they're over too quickly. Let's see more flirting! The romantic moments help us get emotionally attached to the couple. We need some sweetness early on, so it hurts more when the relationship falls apart. Thankfully, the film hasn't forgotten its #1 priority. Rest assured, there's plenty of sex! We get a passionate romp in the bedroom and a steamy hookup in the shower. Both scenes are filmed so sensually that my heart starts pounding!

The two leads are good-looking guys. I love how they aren't shy about showing skin or getting intimate on camera. Nam's actor (Bui Trung Thai) is great during the angsty moments. His co-star (Nguyen Vo Minh Hien) also delivers a solid performance as Phong, but I have one complaint. After watching him in Teenager Judge and two short movies, I gotta say his kissing skills are just so-so. He's still a good actor who has no problem filming physical scenes, but I don't think he's the best kisser. Trung Thai has better romantic chemistry with his other partner in Awaiting Dawn.

Fireworks in the Deep ends with a poignant conversation as Nam opens up about his personal life. Trung Thai acts his heart out. Yet, I'm annoyed because the story dumps all his character development in the second-to-last scene. Why didn't we learn about his struggles earlier? The movie is just too poorly written, so I never feel emotionally invested. I still enjoyed the gorgeous scenery, sexy moments, and solid performances. For a short gay film made by a small studio, it has enough to entertain me. However, I wouldn't describe Fireworks in the Deep as a BL classic.