Some of your favorite characters from last year’s Brotherly Lies return in this anthology of stories that reflect on new main characters but show how these three from the original film make an impact.

Wyatt is an aspiring photographer who is taking new headshots of his best friend Logan. Logan has met someone, and he wants the photos to look good for his new relationship. Logan’s new boyfriend is screenwriter Shane, who had recently joined a group and was nearly in an affair with movie star Lex. Wyatt also knows Shane as they once had a thing. However, Shane realizes he wants to give Logan a shot and out of respect for his friend, Wyatt decides the same.

Jason is a local pool cleaner who is given a job at a luxury home. There, he sees someone who is house sitting and thinks he knows him. The sitter at first goes along with Jason’s story, in which he describes that after his mother’s death, he felt freedom for the first time and went to the Rainbow Room, where he met a young man named Andy. However, the sitter is actually Kenny, Lex’s best friend, and he apologizes to Jason for leading him on as Kenny is married. However, the two eventually form a new platonic friendship over the course of the night.

Dr. Peter Lesh is a therapist who slowly begins to have an obsession with Lex, his latest client. Lex has gotten divorced and has slowly begun to move on and is starting to date again. He has met someone but because of his celebrity status, changed his name. However, he wants to tell his new boyfriend his real name and who he is. As for Dr. Lesh, he is married but still has an obsession with Lex. When Peter learns his husband is going to a conference, he discovers a very shocking secret, one that could destroy both his life and livelihood in one fell swoop.

From Mark Schwab, the director of Crisis Hotline and Brotherly Lies comes this anthology which serves as a spin-off sequel to the latter as three main characters from that film return. However, they are the supporting players this time around as the three stories focus on three new LGBTQ+ characters and yet, the trio here make an impact that changes these three new characters’ lives forever.

The first story, “Wyatt”, features Crisis Hotline lead (and WorldFilmGeek Award winner) Christian Gabriel as the titular photographer who finds himself stuck between a rock and a hard place. This one brings back Jacob Betts as Shane as he finds himself torn between his tryst with Wyatt and a chance for an actual relationship with Wyatt’s bestie Logan, played by Matthew Bridges. The second story, “Jason”, stars Julian Goza as the titular pool cleaner, who mistakes Jose Fernando’s Kenny for a one night stand he had after his mother passed. However, what’s great about this story is that while there are no romantic sparks between the two, the two ultimately bond in a platonic way, breaking a major trope of the LGBTQ+ film.

The final story, “Dr. Lesh”, features the lead from Brotherly Lies, Pano Tsaklas’ Lex as he finds love again after his divorce but not only contends with the new relationship. He unknowingly finds himself the object of his therapist’s obsession. Played by Peter Stickles, we see his Peter having vivid dreams about Lex and how his obsession could eventually lead to him losing his husband and even threaten his job when the man who recommended Lex to Peter finds himself in a dire situation. The first and third films have love triangles where emotions run high and serve as bookmarks whereas the second story is quite interesting in that it breaks a certain trope and shows that there can be a platonic mood amongst the community and doesn’t have to resort to romance on the constant.

Exteriors is definitely worthy as an LGBTQ+ anthology that serves as both a sequel to Brotherly Lies and a standalone film. The stories are really intriguing and makes you wonder what will happen next as the cast of characters here shine once again in terms of Brotherly Lies.

WFG RATING: A

A Diamond in the Rough Films production. Director: Mark Schwab. Producers: Mark Schwab, Mark Balunis, and Steven Muir. Writer: Mark Schwab. Cinematography: Steven Muir. Editing: Mark Schwab.

Cast: Christian Gabriel, Matthew Bridges, Jacob Betts, Julian Goza, Jose Fernando, Peter Stickles, Pano Tsaklas, Michael Champlin, Diogo Hausen.

Special Thank You to Mark Schwab for allowing WorldFilmGeek to view the film.