A young gay hustler impulsively holds his family hostage in Quentin Lee’s third and least accomplished film, “Ethan Mao,” which, like its anti-hero, never quite knows which way to go once things get started. A sure item at gay and Asian-American fests, “Mao” will require ultra-careful handling to take residence in theatrical homes.
The plot revolves around Ethan Mao, a closeted gay teenager, who is expelled from his home after his manipulative stepmother, Sarah, discovers a gay pornographic magazine in his room. On the streets, Ethan is forced into hustling for money. There, he meets Remigio, a fellow teen hustler and drug dealer. The two become friends and end up living together.
Ethan and Remigio hatch a plan to return to Ethan’s old home during the Thanksgiving holiday. They aim to retrieve money, some old belongings, and Ethan’s deceased mother’s necklace—the only memento he has of her. However, things take an unexpected turn when Ethan’s family unexpectedly returns home while Ethan and Remigio are inside. Faced with no other choice, they decide to take everyone hostage, including Ethan’s father, Abraham, his stepmother, Sarah, his bullying stepbrother, Josh, and his younger brother, Noel. Their goal is to hold the family members until the next day when the banks open, allowing Sarah to access the safety deposit box and retrieve Ethan’s mother’s necklace.
As the police surround the house, Ethan and Remigio must make a critical decision about how it will all end. Ultimately, they choose to walk out together and surrender to the authorities. In a poignant moment, they share a kiss before the film fades to them lying together on a bed, with no lights on. Remigio asks Ethan to promise that if he ever falls in love with someone, he’ll be the first to know, no matter where Remigio is. Ethan agrees, sealing their bond.
BOOTED OUT of his comfortable suburban house by his father for being gay after being outed by his manipulative stepmother, Ethan Mao, 18, survives on the street as a hustler selling sex to older men. He meets Remigio, 19, a drug dealer and sometime hustler, who befriends Ethan and takes him in. After being tipped off by his younger brother that his family is going on a day trip on Thanksgiving Day, Ethan asks Remigio for a ride to his family house to get some of his belongings and a necklace that belonged to his late mother. Ethan and Remigio break into Ethan’s family house, but are caught in the act and believe they have no choice other than to hold his father, stepmother, and bullying stepbrother hostage. In the following increasingly desperate hours, Ethan, his family, and Remigio are forced to confront their unresolved conflicts between each other. As the tension between Ethan and his family escalates, their inner demons and family secrets unravel in this suspenseful drama.
