Rightor Doyle, renowned for his creation of the Emmy-nominated Netflix hit series Bonding, always envisioned his directorial debut would be for a movie he authored. However, upon receiving the script for Down Low, the filmmaker claims he was hooked within the first 10 minutes (you’ll have to watch to find out why!)
“I just kept reading it and reading it, and I just thought it was so funny and weird and wild,” Doyle says in an interview with The Messenger. “And I actually think in this really subversive way, it had something incredible to say, and I thought that I could add my voice to the conversation of the script in a way that felt very authentic.”
Starring Zachary Quinto and Lukas Gage, Down Low is an riotous comedy about one wild night, a deeply repressed man, the twink who gives him a happy ending, and all the lives they ruin along the way. Following Cameron (Gage), a massage therapist/sex worker, he makes it his mission to bring newly divorced Gary (Quinto) out of his sexually repressed shell. Yet, a fatal Grindr hookup and a dark web encounter lead these two new friends to discover just how chaotic and messy it is being gay.
Doyle claims he has resonated with the generational divide in the LGBTQ+ community, which is embodied in the movie through Cameron and Gary. Ultimately, his goal was to craft a movie that not only appealed to his personal taste, but conveyed the joy of being gay, even in the face of external judgments, and the acknowledgment of one’s own flaws.
Instinct had the opportunity to catch up with Doyle and talk more about the film, which also features Simon Rex, Audra McDonald, and Judith Light. He touches more on his directorial debut experience and working with an all-star cast, as well as shattering stigmas in the LGBTQ+ community, upcoming projects, and more.
Check out the full video interview below.
Rightor Doyle…
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Down Low is now available to buy or rent on all digital streaming platforms.
It’s gay, funny, dark & over the top. I’m down to go see Down Low again.