Straight Until He Kissed Me

starring: EVAN GAMBARDELLA & GREG DUFFY

Med student Miles, caught his influencer med student girlfriend cheating. Staging a Fake Affair, he accidentally kisses the handsome CEO Hunter. He swore he didn’t like men and Miles swore he was straight too. 1 kiss changed everything.

REVIEW

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Well I missed the boat when this came out as I was deep in Vertfest work. And then it has become so big I get nervous about reviewing it, as clearly beloved by so many people

And I can see why as it is such a bundle of joy. The thing that fascinates me here is how much the 2 leads have done to promote this, and make it the success it is. Not only are they super in the show but they have also taken the marketing and public awareness to another level. It's a masterclass in how to champion a vertical and for this alone please give them a sequel

@evangambardella is astonishing, I recognized him, went to IMDB, found out he was Declan in His Nerd, and couldn't believe it was the same actor which shows just how good he is. And he goes absolutely all out here with the comedy, and the reactions, and the timing. He grabs you from the first episode, you can't look away because he is on it every single second.

And hugely helped by the fact everyone else around him is brilliant

@_bar_daniel is iconic in a short role dealing Hunter has ED
@andrew_campen willingly plays into the lunkhead with muscles
@allyled stamps her foot very satisfyingly
@naomimelville always has the right response as Fionaz possibly the only sensible person in that office

I could write an essay on how brilliant Kate is. I still might

And then @gregduffylive Now to start with he has the less showy role as it is all about Miles and his interactions but in the end Hunter is the one that got me, because he breaks your heart when you realize how much he loves Miles. My favourite bits are actually those quiet moments when you see how much Miles means to Hunter

Now the reason this isn't 5 stars is the script. I got very tired of the endless repetition of "I'm not gay" it was awkward, and by the end jarred and distracted me from the story each time. I wish there had been the confidence to cut a lot of them out. Because it did the truly brilliant cast a disservice.

My hope here is that there is a sequel, that bit of the script is jettisoned, and every cast member gets to come back and do more comedy, even more heartfelt moments and everyone has another hit on their hands.

💖 Top swoonworthy moment:

The best bits are the quiet moments, such as when they are in the car, and Hunter sorts Miles out, and leans his forehead against his. And again when Hunter confesses his love at the end. Gorgeous moments amongst the comedy.

🦹🏼‍♂️ Top villain award:

Kate is perhaps the best villain ever because of the performance. Genius. Every single little thing, when she slaps Miles she then shakes out her hand because it hurt, she finds a way to deliver every single line in a memorable way, never a dull exit when she sashays away, or has a spring in her step at a plan coming together. It is extraordinary - really reminds me of Marisa Tomei and that is the highest praise from me as Marisa is an icon.

😂 Comedy gold:

So much here as Evan Gambardella knows how to sell a line or give a reaction. Master of the little shriek and jump when he has a shock. Just the level of energy he brings, he doesn’t coast in a single scene and it is so impressive. Also some fabulous one-liners from Kate - my fave being ‘I’m literally going to go through menopause before your spineless *ss gets me anything useful’.

🎺 Unsung hero:

Fiona - who clearly is the person who gets everything done at the office, and takes the final scene in her stride. Lovely Noah who needs his spin off love story. And poor Josh who is just used for his muscles by Amber.

✍🏼 DETAILS

Director: Leyi Dai | 2025

Available on Goodshort