The Academy

July 2, 2018
Anderson (Cam Boy) spins an irresistible, fluffy romance around two young men. At 21, Nick Steele begins his belated senior year at the Academy of Holy Names, a small private Catholic university in Evanston, Ill. Almost immediately, Nick makes intense eye contact with Sebastian Prinsen, one of three gay seniors who are “teen-TV-drama attractive.” Nick just wants to focus on graduating, but he can’t get Seb out of his head. Moreover, Sebastian has a reputation for being a heartbreaker and has made a bet with his friends to see which of them Nick will kiss first. The romantic tension builds as Seb “enjoys the chase” and Nick experiences “confused feelings,” especially when Seb drunk-texts him. Complications, confessions, and passionate kisses ensue. Anderson keeps the hearts throbbing in this fast-paced contemporary that riffs on the films Cruel Intentions and Mean Girls as lies, deception, and manipulation all come into play. The guys find time to engage in a little frottage and express some real emotion, amplifying the tumultuous drama. This college contemporary is pure fun.