Latter Days (2004)

Latter Days is special because it treats a potentially sensational setup with real tenderness, letting a romance bloom into something unexpectedly sincere and human. The West Hollywood sheen brings a playful, comedic spark, but the film keeps finding its way back to quiet moments of compassion and aching vulnerability, anchored by Steve Sandvoss’s disarmingly open performance and Wes Ramsey’s gradual, believable softening. It’s a warm, earnest crowd-pleaser at heart, with Jacqueline Bisset providing a steady, soulful presence that makes the world feel kinder than the characters sometimes expect. Fair warning: it doesn’t shy away from sexual content or emotionally heavy material tied to faith, family rejection, and conversion efforts, but if you’re open to a romantic drama that wants to heal as much as it wants to entertain, it’s easy to see why this one has lingered in people’s hearts.

Latter Days is aiming for a heartfelt, crowd-pleasing romance that also takes a swing at the real pain of religious shame and coming out, and you can feel the sincerity behind that goal. The problem is it often reaches for soap-opera intensity and familiar beats, with characters that can play more like types than fully lived-in people, so the emotional punches may feel engineered rather than earned. The tonal juggling act—flirty rom-com one minute, heavy trauma the next—can come off awkward and a bit flat if you want something nuanced or realistic. Still, if you’re in the mood for an earnest early-2000s gay romance with a comforting, cathartic arc and you don’t mind melodrama, it has enough warmth and chemistry to work.