Bonding
- Director: Rightor Doyle
- Writer: Rightor Doyle
- Producer: Rightor Doyle
CGiii Comment
The only thing we have to say about Bonding is...get writing the second series!!!
It could have been crass, it could have been crude...well, it is a little crude, hilariously so...but, what this actually is - quite unexpectedly - is a few-holes-barred look into the world of a Dominatrix and her sidekick assistant...saturated in light and glorious colour...with the shade just an arm's length away.
Each episode is only [about] 15 minutes [too short]...yet, Rightor Doyle packs many a mighty punch...with an eye-popping consistency. Really, not a single second is wasted...the time constraints have - most definitely - not constrained any of the talent.
And...that talent is absolutely everywhere...sizzling on both sides of the camera. The cinematography is a joy. The editing is crisp. The direction burns fuel like a rocket. But...all eyes are on Zoe Levin & Brendan Scannell, perfect foils to each others' insecurities. They jostle and joust from start to finish, with feigned fall-outs and failed feelings...they are firm friends...to envy.
The supporting cast are just as strong...Micah Stock especially, he nails vulnerability. That's the devilsh thing about Bonding...it really is all about [all of our] vulnerabilities...and, at the same time...screams & screeches [from the highest rooftops and the deepest dungeons] that old, dependable, weatherproof adage: If you can't be truthful to yourself then who can you be truthful to!
It's mesmerising. It's blistering. It's solid.
The only thing we have to say about Bonding is...get writing the second series!!!
Trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
“You made my heart cum,” Pete tells his best friend Tiff on a summery New York City night.
This exchange perfectly sets the tone for Bonding, a hysterical, touching, and kinky new series from creator-director Rightor Doyle about the trials and tribulations of a young gay man and his straight female best friend. For Bonding, Frameline has created its first ever Centerpiece Episodic, showcasing how television—and in particular, Doyle’s exceptional new project—has become a fresh and relevant addition to the festival conversation.
Pete (Brendan Scannell, soon to be seen in the upcoming Heathers television reboot) is a shy, aspiring stand-up comedian—the only catch is that his nerves have never allowed him to perform in front of an audience. Struggling to pay the rent to his perpetually horny, anally obsessed heterosexual roommate, Pete agrees to work as a professional assistant to his best girl friend from high school, Tiff (Zoe Levin, Palo Alto). But he’s completely unaware that her line of work is disciplining men as a dominatrix at night while attending grad school during the day. Stepping way out of his comfort zone, Pete must face his own insecurities, realizing his performance anxiety extends well beyond the stage of his local comedy club; at the same time, his new working relationship with Tiff forces her to confront her own fears of opening up to others and letting go of control.
In seven episodes, Bonding comically explores the age-old relationship between gay boy and straight girl—with a BDSM twist-in what is sure to be one of the most talked about episodics of 2018. Be sure to look for winning supporting turns from Matt Wilkas (Gayby, Frameline36), D’Arcy Carden (Broad City), and Matthew Risch (Looking).
—JOE BOWMAN
Cast & Characters
Zoe Levin as Tiff;
Brendan Scannell as Peter;
Micah Stock as Doug;
Kevin Kane as Professor Charles;
Stephanie Styles as Kate;
Charles Gould as Fred;
Alex Hurt as Frank;
Theo Stockman as Josh