The best part about indie films is there are some truly hidden gems that get overshadowed by Blockbusters. As a critic I love coming across great indie films that never really get their due but are such a wonderful experience when viewing them. Oscar Torre’s A Hot Summer Night is one of those films. A brilliantly shot movie that is not only heartwarming, but tragic, and cleverly explores themes of loneliness and isolation. The story centers around a sex worker who must make ends meet during the pandemic. And even though the pandemic isn’t necessarily mentioned in the film, it’s easy to figure out the time-period for the film when we were all stuck at home. If you were an exotic dancer used to making a living in a club, what did you do to make ends meet during that time and that’s what this film explores. However, it’s not so much about a sex worker who discovers how to use a webcam and Zoom, but the difference between connecting via the web versus applying her trade in public, especially when she has to raise so much money in a short time.
Chuti Tui plays the exotic dancer and is fantastic. One of her best performances that you shouldn’t miss. Her character is not only an exotic dancer, but an addict and you get to see the addiction full throttle in this film. It may be the most human experience within this film. However, she is not the only one that turns out a great performance. All the other actors who you see through Zoom do a great job of playing her clients. It’s easy to connect to them especially the loneliest of those characters. For me though the best part of the film is just how it is shot. It’s a simple set. While there are flashback scenes of the characters in public, the majority of this film is a small apartment, and a room decorated as if it were in a nightclub so that the main character can perform on camera. Except to the flashback scenes the interaction among the characters is all through Zoom. The film proves that you can tell this great and emotional story without a huge set. It puts you into the action as if you are seeing a live stage production design. Zoom is definitely a useful tool and there’s so many capabilities of being able to shoot a film where you have seen through Zoom, and this is one of the best examples on how you can do it. But as I watch this film, I became so emotionally invested in all of the characters stories that come forth through just watching a sex act.
A Hot Summer Night is certainly a film that any cinephile should watch. With great performances and a simple but effective production design, there is a fantastic story that’s being told. And it’s inspiring because we’ve all been desperate at some point in our lives where we end up doing things that we never thought we would do to survive. The film is one hell of an emotional experience against the backdrop of the most realistic setting one can have. It’s definitely worth watching and you won’t be disappointed.
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