Caleb (Brandon Perras-Sanchez) and Adrian (Michael J. Ahern) are a couple whose relationship is heading for the rocks, so they take a make or break trip to an off-season Provincetown in Cape Cod, where the atmosphere seems off from the start and an oddly friendly local called Eric (Matthew Pidge) assumes both the role of their guide and the hitherto missing element of a throuple.
That’s not a spoiler as such and should also act as a primer for the amount of sex between guys that takes place in this movie. You can ditch both the film and the review right now if you’re going to have conniptions about this. Also, the fact that I’ve reviewed The Girl With The Haunted Vagina, Poor Things and the forthcoming Mamantula doesn’t mean that I’m assuming the role of Warped Perspective’s sexy times correspondent [though the role is yours if you want it – Ed.]. Trust me, you do not need me in that position. Please excuse my choice of words.
As a matter of fact, it’s the sex that underpins the plot to a certain degree, acting as a pointer to the hedonism lurking just beneath the surface of this eerie, deserted destination and to the ever shakier foundations of Caleb and Adrian’s relationship, done few favours by a new, intriguing third party. This also strengthens Caleb’s resolve to investigate the disappearance of previous partner Isaac (Tradd Sanderson), about whom he has been experiencing vivid, graphic nightmares.
I should point out that Saint Drogo is from the filmmakers who brought us the micro-budgeted, gonzo, unashamedly queer, slasher riot that is Death Drop Gorgeous. I should also point out that this film is a marked progression in terms of filmmaking maturity. I’m never going to pretend I didn’t find Death Drop Gorgeous a total hoot, but I know some of you out there couldn’t get on with it. To you folks, fair play, but I’m urging you to give this one a try. This sophomore effort is a complete 180 in terms of tone and there’s a definite leap forward in the plotting, the writing and the visual aesthetic while still keeping those outlandish gore sequences firmly in place.
Overcoming a slightly shaky and occasionally stilted opening act, Saint Drogo grows in confidence and hits its stride as the mystery comes into play, with every new character a potential bad guy in surroundings which are alien even to those who should normally feel at home there. There are sharp asides as to what makes gay society tick and the forces at work which set norms and behaviours, even in groups which would initially appear to be outside of expected controls.
Coastal towns – offseason or not – always make for locations which are fertile ground for attracting the other of all types. Think Potter’s Bluff in Dead And Buried or the alternate vision of North Yorkshire seaside town Scarborough which Rose Glass provided in Saint Maud. Here, P-town is a mix of actual, modern day socioeconomic concerns, skewed further for fictional effect by a folk horror element which recalls, inevitably, The Wicker Man. The shadow Robin Hardy’s movie has cast over the subgenre is impossible to ignore but, if you thought Howie’s demise was a cruel one, just wait until you see what Saint Drogo has in store come the final act.
Whereas the violence in Death Drop Gorgeous was generally OTT enough for a good giggle, the grue here is positively chilling. Limb breaking, disembowelling and decapitation is seen in lingering, hideous detail as the viewer hopes against hope for unlikely, last minute salvation that, of course, doesn’t happen. I’ve watched the movie three times now and there are certain moments which lose none of their power to shock.
Perras-Sanchez and Ahern make for a sweet but bruised partnership and the opening stanza shows how their affinity for each other has taken a number of hits over the recent past. As much as the viewer wishes them the best, there’s a sense that the trip they take is too little, too late and the film plays upon this as Caleb becomes increasingly suspicious of their holiday haven’s residents and looks for the secret, all-powerful society he’s convinced is lurking behind the town’s deceptively shabby façade.
Examining the politics of same sex relationships with a startling side of splattery set pieces and keen observations on the transformative – but not always positive – influence of tourism, Saint Drogo is a sea change from the Death Drop Gorgeous guys. It’s the follow-up film you would have not expected and it is well worth your time to see how their craft is developing apace.
Saint Drogo featured at the SoHome Horror Pride Festival 2024.