Cicada (2020): When Love Tries to Survive the Wounds
Set in a sweaty New York summer, Cicada follows Ben and Sam, two guys who meet, hook up, and somehow end up peeling back layers of their past they thought were buried. It’s messy, tender, funny, and a little painful — just like life. The film doesn’t pretend, it just shows you what happens when people try to love while still figuring themselves out.
Sometimes a movie doesn’t need to scream, shine, or show off. It just needs a heart. Cicada (2020) is exactly that kind of film – modest, gentle, and painfully honest. A semi-autobiographical queer love story that doesn’t try to impress, it simply unfolds. And that’s exactly what makes it hurt… and heal.
Two People, Two Pasts, One Attempt
The story follows Ben and Sam, two men who meet during a hot New York summer. At first, it’s casual – a hookup like many others. But as the days go by, they start opening up, and soon enough, their buried traumas rise to the surface. Fear, shame, vulnerability. You can’t really hide much when you’re naked – literally and emotionally.
The film feels like you’re eavesdropping on real people. Dialogues are raw, filled with silence, awkward pauses, unfinished thoughts. That’s exactly why it feels so real.
“You little slut.”
Yep, that line’s in the movie. 😄
But underneath that funny moment lies one of the film’s most vulnerable scenes – a quiet conversation about early sexual experiences, confusion, shame, and curiosity. Cicada (2020) dances between laughter and pain with incredible ease.
Performances That Don’t Feel Performed
Matthew Fifer and Sheldon D. Brown not only play Ben and Sam – they wrote the story and lived parts of it. Their chemistry doesn’t look rehearsed. It feels lived-in. There’s no act – they are these characters. And that’s what pulls you in.
Not for Everyone, But for Anyone Who’s Ever Tried to Love
Cicada (2020) isn’t your typical movie-night flick. There’s no action, no big climax, no resolution tied in a bow. Some viewers may find it slow or uneventful. But if you’ve ever tried to love while carrying emotional baggage – this film will feel like a mirror. Unpolished. Imperfect. True.
Here’s What Stuck With Me
Cicada (2020) doesn’t offer answers. It doesn’t fix things. It just shows what happens when two people try to love while still healing themselves. And in a world where many still stay silent – that means everything.
