WFG RATING: A

VMI Worldwide presents a Ganymede Film production in association with Iris Indie International and Neighborhood Pictures. Directed by Colby Holt and Sam Probst. Produced by Mark Goldberg, Kevin Greene, and Stephen Stanley. Written by Colby Holt. Cinematography by Oscar Partridge. Edited by Sam Probst.

Stars Jordan Doww, Pablo Castelblanco, Joe Chrest, Sofia Yepes, Marissa Reyes, David Koechner, and Robyn Lively.

A young man must confront a demonic presence to save himself in this LGTBQ horror film from the team of Colby Holt and Sam Probst.

Lee Fletcher seems to have it all. He’s a star on the wrestling team. He’s very popular at school and it could be because his father is the state commissioner. However, when he decides to do something good and helps pick up trash at his grandfather’s park, he reconnects with former classmate Kyle Culper, who is openly gay. After being forced to protect himself and Kyle against two homophobic classmates, Lee is relegated to being yelled at by his mother. However, Lee soon develops feelings for Kyle and things soon take a dark turn.

Coming from a very strict religious background, Lee begins to see strange things happen to him as his feelings for Kyle become stronger. When he notices his skin coming off his arm, it is all an illusion. When the visions begin to affect him, Lee turns to Pastor Royer, who reveals the visions could be the actions of a “ganymede”, an unrepentant homosexual person who is attempting to get to Lee. When Lee discovers a dark family secret, he soon learns that while he attempts to shy away from Kyle, the secret could be the key to stopping the “ganymede” once and for all.

This is quite a fascinating combination of religion and LGBTQ acceptance in the vein of a psychological horror film from the duo of Colby Holt and Sam Probst. The film could be one of the top genre films of the year thanks to some powerful performances and the story itself, of a young man who must come to terms with his identity to stop a demonic presence haunting him because of his struggle. 

Jordan Doww is excellent in the lead role of Lee, the boy who seems to have it all thanks in part to his dad having authority in the state. However, while the surface sees him as a popular kid, his home life is actually one filled with strife and constant yelling. While Big Lee, played by Joe Chrest, is the state commissioner and expects his son to be as successful in his wrestling, his mother Floy is a whole different story. 

Robyn Lively is a legend whose career has spanned nearly four decades and while she is known for her roles in 80s films like Teen Witch, The Karate Kid Part III, and WildCats, this is destined to be one of the best roles she has played. As the overbearing and overprotective mother of our main character, Lively brings a depth of emotions to the role of Floy, who goes on berating Lee for even starting a friendship with gay classmate Kyle, played by a great Pablo Castelblanco. With the strict religious upbringing, she makes sure Lee is protected at all costs from anything that doesn’t mesh with their religion.

David Koechner, normally a comic actor, unleashes one of his most intense roles in that of Pastor Royer. Royer is the very outspoken pastor of the church who vehemently denounces homosexuality in his church and describes it as the “ultimate sin”. He is the one who attempts to tell Lee the story of the titular “ganymede”, which in turns leads to the twisting revelation of a dark secret within the family that could be the key. We see Lee throughout the film attempting to deal with his problem when his visions prove to affect him and those around him. All of this leads to a very shocking finale that comes as unexpected and jaw-dropping.

Ganymede is an excellent film that meshes identity, religion, and psychological horror. The explosive performances from the cast and shocking twists definitely makes this a film worth checking out. 

The film will debut on VOD platforms on August 6.