At first it’s just research: aspiring writer Max (Ruaridh Mollica) tentatively ventures into sex work to gather material for his first novel, about a rent boy named Sebastian. But then the side hustle becomes the primary source of income after Max loses his job.
This handsomely shot, London-set sexual odyssey is just starting to get a little repetitive (there are only so many anonymous hotel room blowjobs we need, however pleasingly they are lit) when Max meets Nicholas (Jonathan Hyde), a cultured, much older man. A connection develops between them that goes far deeper than the contract between sex worker and client. It’s tender, thoughtful film-making from Finnish director Mikko Mäkelä, exploring the bond between two men separated by generations but joined by literature and love.
