Trick (1999)

Christian Campbell and John Paul Pitoc star in the 1999 romantic comedy Trick, a classic from queer creatives Jason Schafer (writer) and Jim Fall (Director).

TRICK

1999 | USA

Director: Jim Fall

Writer: Jason Schafer

Cast: Christian Campbell, John Paul Pitoc, Tori Spelling, & Coco Peru

Trick follows Gabriel, a shy aspiring musical composer, who nervously walks into a gay bar one night and is drawn in by the allure of a male go-go dancer. Nothing happens, they don’t even talk, but on the subway ride home the two get on the same car. They catch each other’s gaze and soon the two find themselves going back to Gabriel’s place for a one-night-stand. Unfortunately, fate has other plans for them as roommates, friends, and a drag queen (Coco Peru!) all manage to thwart their attempts at intimacy. As time goes on, and Mark and Gabriel spend more time together, it becomes obvious that there is more chemistry between them than they originally thought.

Trick originally started as a 70-page script titled “Gay Boy” by writer Jason Schafer. Director Jim Fall knew he wanted to adapt the story into a feature-film because it was different than a lot of other movies coming out at the time. Fall explained that he was looking to make a film that wasn’t “about two gay guys coming out, or AIDS, or anything I felt a lot of gay movies were dealing with - or a gay guy falling for a straight guy.” 

Trick was one of those rare early queer films where the audience was encouraged to root for a burgeoning romance, with no hint of consequences. The worst thing that could happen is that Gabriel and Mark won’t realize their potential as a couple. But, lucky for us, they do.

Hopefully we’ll get that sequel that was announced back in 2018 with the original cast returning.

You can find Trick streaming on Hoopla & Plex (Canada/USA), Prime, Roku & Revry (USA), Prime & Tubi (UK), for rent/purchase on Prime (UK/USA), and also available on DVD.