Get ready for sun, suspense, and steamy secrets: Jelani Alladin and Zane Phillips are set to headline Strangers on a Beach, a queer erotic thriller premiering this June at New York’s Big Apple Film Festival.
Set in 1983 San Francisco, the film follows Calvin, a man trying to survive—and maybe fall in love—in a city where queer desire is being stalked by something far more dangerous.
The official logline teases: “It’s 1983 in San Francisco and a mysterious killer is targeting homosexual men. But Calvin just wants to kiss that handsome stranger.”
Scary, Sexy, and Unapologetically Queer
Written and directed by Michael Schwartz (Snatched), the film draws inspiration from the stylized suspense of David Lynch and Brian De Palma.
Unlike the coded queerness of many thrillers from that era, Strangers on a Beach brings queer identity and desire front and center.
“Studio films of that era often reveled in queer subtext,” Schwartz explained in a statement.
“But even between the lines, queerness was frequently coded as danger. That kind of projection carried difficult consequences, as did the concealment of identity. By centering authentically queer voices—all while keeping things scary, sexy, and strange—we set out to challenge the biases of both the characters and the audience who watch them.”
Related: Zane Phillips & Jelani Alladin Headline New Queer Erotic Thriller
Star-Studded Cast and Creative Team
Alongside Alladin and Phillips, the film features Juliana Aidén Martinez (Griselda), Jack Falahee (How to Get Away With Murder), Nancy Lam (Miss Saigon), and Perry Young (In the Heights).
The score was composed by Andrew Dost, known for “We Are Young” and “Some Nights.” The Grammy winner was tasked with combining “the propulsive electronica of Trent Reznor with the classic romanticism of Bernard Herrmann,” according to the release notes.
“Michael has such an extensive musical vocabulary,” Dost said. “And he filmed the story in such a lyrical way. It was really fun to find the tone together.”
“Andrew knocked it out of the park,” Schwartz added. “He crafted something so beautiful, original and haunting and I can’t wait for audiences to hear it on the big screen.”
Strangers on a Beach is set to make its world premiere at the Big Apple Film Festival in June—just in time for Pride Month. Don’t miss this thrilling dive into queer danger, desire, and identity, wrapped in the dreamy haze of a bygone era.
Related: Actor Zane Phillips on Coming Out & Finding Self-Worth