Hanging 10 : 'Shelter' - Movie Review

Shelter is about a young man named Zach, played brilliantly by Trevor Wright, who is struggling to take care of his wayward sister and her son after the death of their mother. Zach is a typical California 20- something who has a talent for art, but has forgone his future in order to stay at home with his family.

While Zach may be typical on the outside, with his love of surfing and skateboarding, his struggle to find his place in the world becomes evident when he reunites with his best friend's gay brother Shaun, played by Brad Rowe.

Young guys, skateboards, beaches. Another of those movies, on might conclude. But reviewer Dylan Vox says the film avoids the pitfalls.

We’ve all seen those typical gay films... coming of age stories in which which characters are introduced to the 'thump, thump' world of gay bars, then struggle to fit in. But throughout Shelter, gay director/writer Jonah Markowitz manages to steer clear of those clichéd gay stereotypes and has crafted a simple story about universal love between gay men, told against the sexy surf of So. Cal.

Vox is clearly enchanted by the director's fresh take on a simple love story.

Unlike most gay movies, there isn’t a lot of unnecessary skin showed or lavish bar room scenes that help propel the characters into gay life. It’s a simple story about creating a family, and as Markowitz explains, “love is love.” That message is something he hopes audiences will leave the theatre with after experiencing one truly original movie. (source)