Tilted Summer – Movie Review & Summary

Juno and Minjae are boyfriends celebrating their second anniversary with a romantic getaway. Initially, they planned to spend their time together in a swanky hotel room. However, Juno made a mistake with the reservations and failed to extend their stay. As a result, the couple becomes stranded with nowhere to spend the night.

Juno brings them to a hostel in the outdoors. However, Minjae is upset and annoyed with their new surroundings. He doesn't want to celebrate their anniversary here, surrounded by a heatwave, mosquitoes, and nosy houseguests. Juno tries his best to be optimistic and cheer up his high-maintenance boyfriend. Nonetheless, Minjae remains in a cranky mood.

The couple meets Hyunsoo, the young owner of the hostel. They join Hyunsoo and the other guests for a group dinner. Juno and Minjae's new acquaintances are curious about their relationship. Juno is discrete and lies about them being high school friends. Minjae becomes even more annoyed at his boyfriend. Tensions rise between them, leading to a furious confrontation in the middle of the night. Juno and Minjae exchange heated words, putting their relationship under an enormous strain.

Tilted Summer feels different from the conventional BL movie. This genre has many sweet romances about cute guys falling in love with a happily ever after ending. Contrary to the norm, this short film depicts a feuding couple on the verge of a relationship crisis. Surprisingly, I like that it strays away from the usual formula and offers a cynical love story. After watching plenty of similar narratives, Tilted Summer stands out with a darker and grittier tone.

With that said, I don't think this movie will appeal to mainstream BL fans. The constant tension between the couple creates an unpleasant viewing experience. This story is about two boyfriends celebrating their second anniversary, but it's almost entirely devoid of happiness or positivity. Instead, the narrative is packed with melodrama and animosity from start to finish. It's too emotionally heavy without any balance in lightheartedness. A film where the leads bitch and bicker for twenty minutes isn't enticing.

The movie's climax occurs during a heated confrontation between Juno and Minjae. The intense argument unleashes all their pent-up frustration that accumulated throughout the film. I like this exchange because the emotions feel so raw, as if they're a real couple at their breaking point. Both actors (Kim Chi Won & Jung Jun Hwan) give strong performances that add to the persuasiveness of the scene. Tilted Summer reaches its peak at this midway point. The relationship drama feels exhilarating and keeps me intrigued about what will happen between the leads.

Unfortunately, I don't love where the movie takes us in the second half. The subsequent events are messy, senseless, and not written well enough. Minjae's startling actions will make you root against him. He turns into a clear-cut villain, removing any nuances from his characterization. The story is no longer about a couple working out their differences, but it goes downhill and becomes a tacky melodrama. Earlier, there was potential for this film to end poignantly and powerfully. Yet, Tilted Summer takes a wrong turn, delivering even more misery and angst.

Tilted Summer has a sad ending, which is appropriate based on what happened between the characters. A happy resolution wouldn't have made sense. I'm okay with a gay movie that doesn't end happily ever after. However, I'm not fond of the journey leading up to this gloomy finale. There is simply too much melancholy, pessimism & hostility for a twenty-minute short film. Although I appreciate Tilted Summer for doing a different type of BL, it doesn't feel empowering or enjoyable. Ultimately, the story leaves me with a poor impression and a bitter aftertaste.