If you’ve ever wondered what kind of drama can unfold in the sticky-floored bathroom of a queer nightclub, wonder no more, darling, because Cowboy, Choker, Harness & Heart has you covered.
This wild and witty short film, co-directed by Nico Blanco and Julia Ponce Díaz, doesn’t just flirt with the messy realities of queer nightlife, it dives right into them, stilettos first.
The premise is simple but deliciously chaotic: we meet a rotating cast of characters known only by their club gear — Cowboy, Choker, Harness, Mistress, and Heart — who collide in the most unlikely of places, a nightclub bathroom.
What follows is a raunchy comedy of errors that mixes hookups, awkward encounters, and the not-so-subtle truth that desire always wins, even if it’s inconvenient or messy.
At the steamy center of it all are Cowboy and Heart, who have been secretly seeing each other but never quite defined their “thing.”
When their paths cross mid-hookup, it quickly spirals into an awkward tango of secrecy, jealousy, and recognition that is equal parts hilarious and all too relatable.
The directors were inspired by real-life queer nightlife experiences, aiming to capture the sweaty, sticky, and thrilling world of clubs in a way that feels authentic rather than sanitized for mainstream screens.
As Blanco explained, queer nightlife is a space for play and self-discovery, but it’s rarely portrayed with all its grit, humor, and emotional truth intact — and this short makes sure to correct that.
The production even built the nightclub bathroom set from scratch to replicate every detail, from mirrors above the troughs to posters peeling off the walls, ensuring the atmosphere looked and felt as raw as the story being told.
If you’re already intrigued, you’re not alone — after a global festival run that included Outfest, Newfest, and Vancouver’s Queer Film Festival, Cowboy, Choker, Harness & Heart is now finally available online via Vimeo and Director’s Notes.
And yes, before you ask, it comes with a NSFW warning, but only because it’s so refreshingly honest about desire in all its messy glory.
For anyone who loved the raw intimacy of Departures, this short offers a different but equally real slice of queer storytelling — one that isn’t afraid to laugh at itself while still tugging on your heartstrings.
It’s campy, it’s sexy, it’s awkward, and it’s exactly the kind of queer cinema we need more of right now.
So the next time you hear the bass thumping through the walls of your favorite club bathroom, just remember — there might be a love story (or three) happening in there.
And if queer nightlife drama is your guilty pleasure, you might also enjoy the sizzling sports scandal of Rivals, Hulu’s gay tennis drama that serves up love, lust, and a few naked volleys for good measure.
Until then, grab your harness, polish your boots, and stream this messy little gem — because desire, as they say, always wins.
