Light – Movie Review & Ending Explained

Story

Weak story

Light has an okay premise. The story about a traumatized young man escaping his abusive past sounds intriguing on paper. However, the paper-thin plot didn't feel engaging as it unfolded. It feels like the rough draft of a lousily written fanfiction. The story development is too shallow, very limited in scope, and barely explores its serious topic with any depth.

The characterizations are also nonexistent. I don't get a sense of who Light and Shuo are as individuals. Their identities are only defined by their circumstances, instead of being complex protagonists with dreams, fears, and talents. Light exists as a sex object that gets tortured by men, while Shuo is his prince charming without any charm. Both leads have personalities as dull as dishwater. It's astounding how such good-looking characters can exude so little charisma.

Light

For the titular character, Light is one-dimensional and doesn't develop dynamically. He's like a sponge for constant abuse and trauma, suffering nonstop from start to finish. When he isn't getting beaten up, Light is hooking up with guys who treat him terribly. I wish we could've focused more on him outside of sex and suffering. It seems like his entire life revolves around sex, sex, and more sex, which doesn't make for the most compelling character.

Light doesn't exhibit a lot of agency throughout the film. He continues to live with his abusive stepfather for some reason. We also don't see him look for other ways to make income until the end. The only time Light shows any individuality is the scene outside the police station. Shuo chastises him for prostitution, but Light defends himself and claims he provides a service without hurting or stealing from anyone.

I highlight this moment because it's a rare instance of Light standing up for himself. Finally, there's a spark to his character, proving he's capable of critical thought. If we saw this side of him more often, especially near the end, it would enrich his character's journey.

Shuo

If we look at this movie as a modern fairytale, Shuo would be the prince charming who rescues the gigolo in distress. Honestly, Shuo is even better than a fairytale prince. Imagine if this hot muscular stud appeared in your life one day, offering you free money, lofty accommodations & sexy sponge baths. I don't know what charitable work you did in your previous life, but you must have done something right!

I don't doubt Shuo is caring, compassionate, and chivalrous. He shows lots of hospitality towards Light, helping him out of the goodness in his heart. However, I also suspect he might have an ulterior motive on top of his altruism. Keep in mind that Shuo saw Light having sex in the alleyway through his video surveillance. He knew Light was hot, horny, and helpless. Those three factors might have given Shuo more incentive to approach this total stranger and offer his assistance.

Maybe I'm too cynical, but I don't see Shuo going to every brothel in town and helping other prostitutes in need. A part of him genuinely wants to take care of Light, which is commendable. However, another part of his motivation may come from his attraction. The sugar daddy in Shuo jumped out when he offered Light money to pay off his stepfather's debts. Are you really that charitable, or do you expect something from him in return? Oh sure, you can stay in my apartment rent-free, but let's take a naked shower together! 🤤

Romance

Sensual romance

You'll most likely enjoy Light because of the steamy sexual encounters. Light and Shuo are physically attractive hunks who engage in many erotic exchanges throughout the movie. Their characters kiss sensually, caress intimately, and even masturbate simultaneously. Their 18+ sex scenes are astonishingly sensual, pushing the boundaries beyond your wildest expectations. A few interactions have me going like *WHOA* and *WOW*. 😳

The nonsexual aspect of their relationship is just alright. I like how Shuo is a knight in shining armour who rescues Light from his life of abuse. However, there isn't much of an emotionally compelling journey, which feels kinda flat. Overall, their chemistry is powered by the passionate sex scenes and not because of any cerebral bond.

Shower scene

In the first fifteen minutes or so, Light seemed like a pretty standard BL drama without surprises. Suddenly, it springs a steamy shower scene upon us. Both characters are now crammed inside a tiny shower together, not wearing clothes. Shuo is stripped down to a pair of briefs and thrusts his ass at the camera. He starts lathering soap on Light's muscular body, rubbing his hands from the chest to the torso.

Not that I was bored, but this movie definitely had my undivided attention now. Quickly, the scene reached its climax when Light leaned forward and whispered, "You're hard." And then, he reached out to grab Shuo's bulge with his whole hand. Oh my god, who else SCREAMED IN EXCITEMENT or was it just me!? I was caught off guard because this movie jumped from 0 to 100 on the homoeroticism scale. Not that I'm complaining. 😆

Masturbation scene

The first shower scene was abruptly cut off just as it culminated to the most exciting point. However, we experience another steamy shower scene moments afterwards. Later that night, Light wakes up from bed and hears moaning from the bathroom. He peeks inside and sees Shuo masturbating in the shower. While we don't see any full frontal, some pelvic area is visible as the movie teases us with a taste of nudity.

With the grunts getting louder, Light quietly closes the door. Then, he starts pleasuring himself outside the bathroom as well. He used one hand to caress his body, while the other hand travelled downwards to his nether regions. What I found funny was that Light allegedly injured himself so much that he couldn't take a shower by himself. Yet, he had no problem using both his hands to jack off. 😛

More than ever, I'm convinced that Light is softcore porn masquerading as BL. I swear to god, you can see these exact same fantasy scenarios in countless gay pornos. That's not meant to be a diss though! The 18+ scenes in Light are undeniably sexy and the highlights of the entire movie. I just wish the rest of the story was up to par, allowing me to enjoy this erotic film unreservedly. I know it sounds pedantic, but the difference between BL and porn is the good storytelling.

Sex scene

As the sexual tension builds up, it reaches an erupting point when Shuo finally stops being a gentleman. He pins Light onto the bed, unleashes all his pent-up energy, and starts ravishing him like a savage beast. It was another sensual and sensational encounter with fireworks exploding between the couple.

The most notable part of their sex scene was how much time Shuo spent sucking on Light's tits, oh my god. He was gobbling on those nipples so much that I thought milk would come guzzling out. 🐄 The only downside to their bedroom action is that it only happens once during the movie. Ugh, I thought we were gonna see a nonstop sex marathon until the bed breaks apart.

To be fair, the amount of eroticism in this movie is LEGIONS beyond the vast majority of BL. By all means, I should be satisfied and delighted with the premium content. The problem is that once I see these two hot guys making out, my thirst becomes insatiable. I wanna see more, more, and even more lol.

Acting

Okay acting

During the nonromantic scenes, I thought both actors (Jed Chung and Max Liu) came across as stiff. Jed cries in a few scenes, but his vulnerability isn't particularly convincing. Meanwhile, Max seems too reserved and behaves like a block of wood. I wasn't impressed by the acting on display and found it on the weaker side.

However, the actors come alive during the passionate moments, which are performed phenomenally. I don't know if there's a metric for measuring eroticism in BL, but their seduction is off-the-charts. When these actors interact, they propel a riveting and electrifying sexual energy that overpowers you. I also appreciate their willingness to participate in such racy scenes, demonstrating an uninhibitedness that enhances the authenticity.

Ending

Happy ending

Light has a happy ending where the main characters reconcile after their earlier misunderstanding. Shuo finally realized that Light was sexually assaulted. Earlier, Shuo assumed the worst and thought his love interest had sex for money again. He refused to listen to Light's tearful explanation, storming away angrily. However, Light actually got raped by his past client, and Shuo is informed about it by his police colleague.

Shuo is wracked with guilt after realizing that he judged Light wrongly. After a frantic search across town, he is reunited with Light in a tense and emotional encounter. At first, Light seems hesitant, stepping back when Shuo tries to approach him. However, Shuo gives a sincere apology for his mistake. That's all it takes for Light to forgive him. The two characters engage in a tender kiss before the movie ends.

Ending review

I kinda hated the last-minute drama near the end of the story. It felt out-of-character for Shuo to react so insensitively to Light's sexual assault. Up until now, his character had been so kind, patient, and understanding. Suddenly, he lost his compassion and wouldn't listen to his tearful, traumatized boyfriend.

Light is literally crying, "HE FORCED HIMSELF ON ME! 😭" and Shuo's coldblooded response is: "You have nobody to blame but yourself. 😒" Compare this Shuo to the one who helped Light unquestioningly at the start of the movie. Why does it seem like his character regressed?