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Riley (film)

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Riley
BERJAYA
Poster
Directed byBenjamin Howard
Written byBenjamin Howard
Produced by
  • Tommy Anderson
  • Benjamin Howard
  • Laura Scarano
Starring
CinematographyMichael Elias Thomas
Edited byBenjamin Howard
Music byJerik Centeno
Production
companies
  • Charthouse
  • Windsor Film Company
Distributed byDark Star Pictures
Release dates
Running time
93 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Riley is a 2023 American coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Benjamin Howard in his feature film debut. The film stars Jake Holley, Colin McCalla, Riley Quinn Scott, Connor Storrie and Rib Hillis. The story follows a closeted high-school football player struggling to accept his identity.

The film is inspired by Howard's experience as a student-athlete and was filmed on location in San Diego, California. It screened at the Calgary International Film Festival, the BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival, and was distributed by Dark Star Pictures.

Critics generally responded positively to the film, praising its message and realism while noting that it does not introduce anything new. Riley received several accolades during its film festival run.

Plot

[edit]

Dakota Riley is a star wide receiver and rising senior at Middleton High School in suburban San Diego, living under intense pressure from his father, the school's head football coach, to secure a college scholarship. Though he presents himself as heterosexual, Riley privately struggles with his attraction to other boys, particularly his quarterback and best friend, Jaeden Galloway.

While dating a classmate, Skylar, Riley grows increasingly conflicted about his identity. His friendship with openly gay classmate Liam prompts him to confront his feelings, placing strain on his relationship with Skylar and creating tension within his social circle. As Riley navigates secrecy, guilt, and fear of damaging his football future, his internal conflict begins to affect his behavior both on and off the field.

After a series of emotional confrontations and misunderstandings, Riley starts to accept his sexuality. He comes out to Skylar, and the two part amicably. Jaeden reassures Riley of his support and agrees to keep his secret. Before a crucial rivalry game, Riley sees Skylar and Liam in the crowd and delivers a motivational speech to his teammates, signaling a growing sense of self-acceptance despite the pressures he still faces.

Cast

[edit]
  • Jake Holley as Dakota Riley
  • Colin McCalla as Jaeden Galloway
  • Riley Quinn Scott as Skylar Braxton
  • Connor Storrie as Liam Hauser
  • Rib Hillis as Carson Riley
  • J.B. Waterman as 'Obi Wan' Hookup
  • René Ashton as Miriam Riley
  • Marcus Winchester-Jones as Desmond
  • Nigel Siwabessy as Hector
  • Dallas Perry as Caleb Mitchell
  • Alyssa Latson as Courtney
  • Caroline Amiguet as Madame Dupont / French Teacher
  • Kaleti Williams as Coach Drey

Sources:[2][3]

Production

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Riley was Benjamin Howard's feature film debut[4] and it was inspired by his experiences as a student-athlete.[5] Howard, who is from East County, San Diego, said many sequences were filmed in places formative to his upbringing, including Mt. Helix Park.[5][6] It was crowdfunded through Seed&Spark[7] and was filmed in April 2022.[8]

Howard described the range of colors in the film as a reflection of multiple character emotions and experiences.[5] Shades of blue and light gray were used when Riley felt happy, while neutral and warmer tones mirrored his unfavorable or gloomy feelings.[5]

Release

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Riley held its world premiere at Calgary International Film Festival on September 24, 2023.[5] The American premiere took place at Bend Film Festival in Bend, Oregon.[9] It later screened at San Diego Film Week,[10] Sedona International Film Festival,[11] San Luis Obispo International Film Festival,[12] and Florida Film Festival.[13]

In 2024, it screened at BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival.[14] It was released on video on demand on January 14, 2025, and was distributed by Dark Star Pictures.[15]

It is also available in Asia on GagaOOLala.[16]

Reception

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Critical response

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Vidal Dcosta of The Movie Buff gave the film an A+ and wrote that it "excels at tackling multiple issues that plague the protagonist" both on and off the field.[17] Ris Fatah of Queerguru wrote that "Howard's feature-length drama is an impressive, authentic debut."[18] Neil Baker at Cinerama Film praised the screenplay as it "captures a realism rarely seen in coming-out movies."[19]

Rich Cline of Shadows on the Wall rated it 4 out of 5, saying "as the drama gets increasingly serious, the film grabs hold powerfully. So even if things begin to turn a bit melodramatic, there's truth in the way the story plays out." Cline also wrote that "there's nothing particularly new here, as these themes are frequently explored on-screen."[20]

Josh Winning of Radio Times rated it 3 out of 5, writing that it "does hit a lot of the expected beats of a gay coming-out story." He added that "it makes up for any lack of originality with its sincere and beautifully shot exploration of young people figuring out their place in the world."[21]

Accolades

[edit]
Festival Year Award Recipient(s) Result Ref.
NewFilmmakers Los Angeles 2024 Best Feature Film Riley Won [22]
Riverside International Film Festival Audience Favorite Benjamin Howard Won [23]
Founder's Award Won
Woods Hole Film Festival Feature Narrative – Drama Won [24]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Riley (15)". British Board of Film Classification. January 13, 2026. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
  2. ↑ Cline, Rich (March 17, 2024). "Shadows on the Wall | Arthouse Films". Shadows on the Wall. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
  3. ↑ Buzzelli, Michael (November 10, 2024). "All American: A Review of 'Riley'". QBurgh. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
  4. ↑ Scheetz, Cameron (September 26, 2023). "WATCH: A closeted football player tackles identity & masculinity in this coming-of-age sports drama". Queerty. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Chadive, Sanjana (September 23, 2023). "'Riley': A UCLA alumnus' love letter to community and queer youth". Daily Bruin. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  6. ↑ Fulcher, Albert (July 26, 2024). "Filmmaker draws on life experience in producing award-winning movie". The Alpine Sun. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
  7. ↑ Bernstein, Paula (October 30, 2023). "BendFilm Festival 2023: What Filmmakers Need to Know Before Applying to Film Festivals | Filmmaker Magazine". Filmmaker Magazine. Archived from the original on October 31, 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  8. ↑ Howard, Michael (July 27, 2024). "EAST COUNTY FILMMAKER BENJAMIN HOWARD SWEEPS SAN DIEGO FILM AWARDS WITH BIOPIC-LIKE FEATURE 'RILEY'". East County Magazine. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  9. ↑ Fortner, Jillian (October 13, 2023). "Bend Film Festival moviegoers celebrate two decades of captivating cinema". KTVZ. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  10. ↑ Kahnert, Eric (November 15, 2023). 'Riley' premieres at San Diego Film Week. KFMB-TV. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Sedona International Film Festival "Riley" Screening - Signals AZ". Signals AZ. February 14, 2024. Archived from the original on March 30, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  12. ↑ "RILEY | SAN LUIS OBISPO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL". March 18, 2024. Archived from the original on March 30, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  13. ↑ "2024 Florida Film Festival". Eventive. Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  14. ↑ "38th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival full programme announced". BFI. February 13, 2024. Archived from the original on April 4, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Riley | Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Riley - Watch Online". GagaOOLala. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  17. ↑ Dcosta, Vidal (March 10, 2024). "'Riley' BFI Flare Review (2023)". The Movie Buff. Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  18. ↑ Fatah, Ris (October 1, 2023). "Queerguru's Ris Fatah reviews RILEY a beautiful queer coming-of-age film from Benjamin Howard". Queerguru. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  19. ↑ Baker, Neil (March 13, 2024). "Riley (review) - BFI Flare 2024". Cinerama Film. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  20. ↑ Cline, Rich (March 15, 2024). "Shadows on the Wall | Arthouse Films". Shadows on the Wall. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  21. ↑ Winning, Josh (March 16, 2024). "Riley (2023)". Radio Times. Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  22. ↑ Carey, Matthew (June 26, 2025). "NewFilmmakers Los Angeles Announces Winners Of 13th Annual Best of NFMLA Awards: Top Honor Goes To Ashley Eakin". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  23. ↑ "22nd Annual RIFF Awards 2024". Riverside International Film Festival. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  24. ↑ "2024 Award Winners : FESTIVAL 2026: JULY 25 - AUGUST 1". Woods Hole Film Festival. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
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