Trick

R

Released Jul 23, 1999

1h 30m

Romance

Comedy

LGBTQ+

List

79%

24 Reviews

Tomatometer

83%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

It's lust at first sight when Gabriel (Christian Campbell), a songwriter with Broadway ambitions, runs into Mark (John Paul Pitoc), a hot go-go dancer at a local gay club. They head to Gabriel's place to seal the deal, but are thwarted when Gabriel's roommate Rich (Brad Beyer) arrives with opposing plans for their closet-sized apartment. It's the first of many sexual obstructions in a wild night that leaves the pair physically unsatisfied, but developing an unforeseen romantic bond nevertheless.

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Critics Consensus

By portraying its love story as nothing less than conventional, Trick avoids genre tropes to create a simple, effective romance.

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PridePosterStudios

A guilty pleasure I don’t get to indulge in nearly enough is a “just gay” film.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/26/24

Full Review

andy n

Not a bad movie. Slightly drawn out, without much drama and depth.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Boy meets boy. Boy wants sex with boy. But his roommate is home, and there's no privacy. So they roam around New York City to find privacy. On that journey, we meet some wildly funny characters while affection grows. As aspiring Broadway musician Gabriel, Christian Campbell is a dimply, innocent foil to John Paul Pitoc's stripper, who's presumably been around this block before. Both are endearing enough that we really don't want to see them fall into bed because we'd rather see them create something more substantial. As much as this film wears its sexuality on its sleeve, it smartly avoids expectations. It ends being the kind of film where you hold your breath in anticipation of even just a kiss. At the time of its release in 1999, that was a refreshing throwback, but it still holds up years later. When Trick was released, it had just been a couple of years since very promising new drugs meant that HIV might not necessarily mean a death sentence. Trick reflects a new hope and optimism that gay men had not allowed themselves to feel for a very long time. Underlining that with resonance and poignancy is an unexpected shot of the pre-9/11 twin towers. Director Jim Fall's smartest move was in his casting, because the secondary characters end up being the scene-stealers who make this movie so much fun: Lorri Bagley as a sexy kewpie-doll who is a lot smarter and worldly than her baby voice implies. Kevin Chamberlain as a snuggly bear of a friend's ex-lover. His screen time is as short as it is cute and memorable. Tori Spelling as a rude and self-unaware actress friend. If you have a distaste for Tori Spelling, you'll actually enjoy her obnoxiousness more for it. Steve Hayes as a flashy show biz friend who sings a bawdy song that makes you want to see this guy in his own sequel. Clinton Leupp, stealing the entire movie with one scene as Coco Peru -- a frightening drag queen you definitely do not want to be trapped in a small space with. To quote Coco, "It's big. It's beautiful. And you're gonna love it."

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

An amazing film with the ability to inspire love even after the 100+ times I've viewed.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Really really cute:):) i liked it a lot. just the type of world i like to live in. this is one I'll definitely rewatch for its over the top yet very grounded storytelling.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

Audience Member

YES YES I love this Movie. And i love the song (Trick of fate).

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

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Jim Fall

Director

Christian Campbell

Gabriel

J.P. Pitoc

Mark

Tori Spelling

Katherine

Steve Hayes

Perry

Kevin Chamberlin

Perry's Ex

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Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: A-

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

Variety

A highlight of the 1999 Sundance Film Fest, Jim Fall's charming romantic comedy deviates from mnny gay-themed by not dealing with AIDS or other "serious" issues, instead centering on "simple" matters like dating and getting laid.

Rated: B

Jan 4, 2007

Full Review

Bob Graham

San Francisco Chronicle

Rated: 3/4

Jun 18, 2002

Full Review

Anderson Jones

The Advocate

It’s an accurate snapshot of our big-city gay lives.

Apr 19, 2022

Full Review

Kaleem Aftab

The List

The strength of Trick relies on some excellent supporting performances, not least from Beverly Hills 90210 starlet Tori Spelling.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 13, 2019

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 4/5

Jun 25, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

It's lust at first sight when Gabriel (Christian Campbell), a songwriter with Broadway ambitions, runs into Mark (John Paul Pitoc), a hot go-go dancer at a local gay club. They head to Gabriel's place to seal the deal, but are thwarted when Gabriel's roommate Rich (Brad Beyer) arrives with opposing plans for their closet-sized apartment. It's the first of many sexual obstructions in a wild night that leaves the pair physically unsatisfied, but developing an unforeseen romantic bond nevertheless.

Director: Jim Fall
Producer: Anthony Bregman, Mary Jane Skalski, Mark Beigelman
Screenwriter: Jason Schafer
Distributor: Fine Line Features, Good Machine International
Production Co: Good Machine, Roadside Attractions
Rating: R
Genre: Romance, Comedy, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 23, 1999, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 14, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.0M
Runtime: 1h 30m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR