The Self-Discovery of a Queer Superstar Athlete

Coming out to family and friends isn’t easy for most queer people. But before that, there’s another hurdle to clear that’s steeper for some than for others: coming out to oneself. Accepting that there are feelings and sexual longings that can’t simply be wished away or suppressed, and that they may complicate life more than one would wish.

Exactly in this moment of truth is Dakota Riley (Jake Holley) — handsome, popular, and so talented at football that a professional career could be within reach. A path his father and coach (Rib Hillis) longs for even more because that road was denied to him by a past injury. Dakota, nicknamed Riley by his friends, seems to find the family-prepared route perfectly acceptable — perhaps that’s why it’s so hard for him to deal with the feelings and desires that don’t easily align with a pro sports career: he’s attracted to men.

The Sexy Best Friend

That he also finds his teammate and best friend Jaeden (Colin McCalla) incredibly sexy becomes even clearer when Jaeden, temporarily staying with Riley’s family to work through issues with his parents, sleeps on a mattress in Riley’s room. This arrangement makes him see Jaeden more often, and more of him, half-dressed than before. The scenes between the two boys are among the film’s strongest moments, spanning the whole spectrum from genuine friendship and bro camaraderie to playful flirting and secret longing.
The obviously straight Jaeden pushes Riley to finally take a step with his schoolmate Skylar (Riley Quinn Scott), with whom he gets along very well. But just as he starts to yield to that pressure and begins dating Skylar, he ends up in French class at the same table as Liam (Connor Storrie), who is openly gay. Liam sneaks a glance at Riley’s Instagram feed and comments that there are quite a few guys there — and that the algorithms know you better than you know yourself. When they meet at Liam’s home for a joint project, a kiss and a blowjob occur, which Riley enjoys so much that he misses an important meeting with Skylar.

Leaving the Safe, Pre-Planned Path
Yet despite all the unmistakable signs, Riley isn’t ready to admit the obvious. That changes only after a Grindr encounter with a clearly older man (J.B. Waterman) at home, who initially just wants sex. In the end, however, he proves to be a compassionate adviser for the confused teen, who always knew how his life should unfold — and who now realizes that he will likely have to abandon that safe, pre-planned path. But how?

“Riley” is the first feature film from author and director Benjamin Howard, who channels his own biography into the story. And even though we’ve seen a similar arc a few times, it’s told so convincingly that we don’t just empathize with Riley — we’d also like to know what happens next: How will his parents and his team react? Can he continue pursuing the dream of a pro career?

Be kinder to yourself

A sequel is probably not planned, but it’s clear that Benjamin Howard didn’t become a professional footballer — though a compelling continuation for “Riley” would lie there, since openly gay players in team professional sports remain rare. “It’s a film about coming to terms with who you really are. And about being kinder to yourself,” Howard explained in an interview. “That clearly speaks to many people in very different life situations than Riley’s.”

For him personally, it hasn’t always been easy to reopen old wounds years later. “At the same time, it was incredibly rewarding and freeing for me. If I had seen a film like this back then, it would have helped me a lot.”

Perhaps Riley should become required viewing for all male team sport athletes — not only would it help the few gay players, but it would also broaden the perspective of heterosexuals and, who knows, make coming outs easier in that environment someday.