Jump to the good stuff: The Story | Some Thoughts | The Final Verdict
The Story:
Cas is a drama about a gay couple who allow a young student to stay with them and end up having a threesome.
One day Pepijn (Wieger Windhorst) comes home and finds a young man, Cas (Felix Meyer), in the living room. He asks his partner, Sjors (Kevin Hassing), about Cas and finds out that Sjors said he could stay with them until he finds a place of his own. Although Pepijn is annoyed that Sjors never consulted him prior to letting Cas stay with them, he lets it go.
Luckily Pepijn and Cas get along, and soon both Pepijn and Sjors become sexually intrigued by the young man, which puts a new dimension to their seven-year relationship. However, it also brings up another issue that Pepijn and Sjors have been ignoring for too long. And that is what the film is about.
Some Thoughts:
Because Cas is about a threesome, you would expect it to be more sexual than it is. I’m not saying the film isn’t sexy, because it definitely captures the sexual intrigue introduced by a third party without being judgmental.
The story works because Sjors and Pepijn’s relationship is plausible. They don’t get jealous and are secure with their sexuality, which makes the progression from sexual duo to threesome believable. It also helps that both of them are attracted to Cas.
I like that the drama doesn’t come from Cas, but from where each of them is in their personal lives. Prior to meeting, Sjors had traveled the world, which is something Pepijn has never done. Sjors had promised that they would do some traveling together, but after seven years, it still hasn’t happened. And that is what’s causing the tension in their relationship.
Although Meyer plays Cas well, his character is very loosely drawn. Other than being a student, we don’t know all that much about him. What is he studying, does he have any friends, is he employed, what are his plans for the future? We have no idea.
The Final Verdict:
Cas is an honest depiction of a gay relationship. The acting, pacing, and script work, giving the film a sense of realism. However, since the dramatic tension is due to a promise not yet fulfilled and not the addition of a third person to their sex life, the film isn’t as sexual as some would prefer.
