Peer (2023)

"Harold" (Eli Johnson) meets "Arthur" (Tommy Carlos Watson) whilst he is on holiday and they hit it off. The relationship has an unusual quirk to it, though. The former is scared of going into the water, the latter man is a lifeguard - and this all happens in Ocean City. "Arthur" determines to find a way to get his new-found friend to overcome his phobia - and that might mean using himself as a bit of a lure! Things aren't helped by other people splashing about but maybe love will conquer all? And maybe not in a way we might expect, either? This is quite an engaging short story but it is plagued by an surfeit of dialogue that is frequently all but inaudible thanks to a poor audio mix. Otherwise, the photography is quite creative at the oceanside and the story has a gently caring sentiment to it that delivers fine, if just a tad simplistically. It is worth watching for twenty minutes - but probably only once.