WATCH: Argentinian men bare all in this exploration of the line between homoeroticism and homophobia
Horseplay (original title “Los Agitadores”—essentially, “The Agitators”) tells the story of a group of “straight” male friends who gather at a beautiful countryside villa to unwind over the Christmas holiday.
Though, for anyone who’s spent any time around a large number of men knows, this gathering is anything but relaxing, as they constantly rile one another in a constant game of homosocial one-upmanship.They tickle, they taunt, they run around naked, they find themselves snuggling after a night of heavy drinking… But what starts as consensual friend-on-friend teasing eventually escalates to something more antagonistic.Related: This homoerotic cult classic was almost even gayerThe more reserved Poli (Franco de la Puente), in particular, tries to keep his distance, but the constant goading of ringleader Nico (Bruno Giganti) proves unavoidable.
Personal boundaries are stretched and shattered as the entire getaway becomes a game of gay chicken. And then things become all the more chaotic when a group of women arrive at the villa, putting the childish behavior of the men in sharp contrast.At times, Horseplay feels like a ticking time bomb of toxic masculinity—all by Berger’s design.
Homophobia runs rampant in the the charged playfulness between these men, which could make the film a tough watch for certain audiences, but the writer-director knows there’s a thin line between that and homoeroticism, which he plucks at gleefully.There’s also the matter of the absolutely gorgeous cast of hunks, who spend the majority of the film’s runtime shirtless (at least) and slapping each other’s butts.
