Jump to the good stuff: The Story | Some Thoughts | The Final Verdict
The Story:
Ethan Mao is a drama about a hustler who carries out a home invasion on his family with the help of his boyfriend.
After discovering a gay adult magazine in his bedroom, Ethan Mao’s (Jun Hee Lee) father (Raymond Ma) kicks him out of the house. Alone and homeless, Ethan turns to hustling to make money. He befriends a drug dealer, Remigio (Jerry Hernandez), who takes an interest in him and decides to help him out.
Ethan moves in with Remigio, and they start working together. Since his family will be away for Thanksgiving, Ethan decides to break into his father’s house to steal some money. While Ethan and Remigio are inside, Ethan’s family comes home and finds them. After a violent altercation at gunpoint, Ethan has no choice but to hold his family hostage until he and Remigio can figure out a plan to escape.
Some Thoughts:
Ethan Mao sounds like an exciting film, but it’s less than stellar due to an inexperienced director, bad acting, and a poorly written script. I only kept watching because the pacing is decent, and the characters are well drawn. The rest of the film is just bad.
In the hands of a more skilled director and cast, Ethan Mao would have been a thrilling movie. It has an interesting premise and Ethan’s family dynamic could have helped elevate it past a mere thriller. But sadly, it’s just another poorly made movie that’s only worth sitting through out of curiosity. And honestly, I don’t have much more to say about it.
The Final Verdict:
Although Ethan Mao lacks everything that makes a good movie, it is watchable.
