Entertainment

The Last First Time review – queer coming-of-age drama gives itself up to pleasure

A Mexican student’s post-exams night out becomes a heady voyage of self-discovery in this slight but joyful coming-of-age drama This queer coming-of-age drama from Mexico feels a little familiar, with its story of 18-year-old Eduardo, a small-town boy finding himself in the big city. And yet nothing about it feels forced or fake – it is upfront about pleasure and desire, Eduardo’s teenage horniness and his intense need to be in the gay world. There are terrific performances from its young cast too. Alejandro Quintana plays Eduardo, a studious kid who arrives in Mexico’s second largest city, Guadalajara, in a sensible button-up shirt to sit a university entrance exam. His phone pings constantly with messages and calls from his mum, whose harsh tone suggests a tension, possibly around his sexuality. After the exam Eduardo meets student Mario, a Caravaggio-esque beauty who invites him back to his house. But when they arrive – surprise! – Mario’s family have thrown him a birthday party. Which only briefly interrupts the hookup, since Mario is totally accepted at home.