The Skinny (film)

The Skinny
Directed by Patrik-Ian Polk
Written by Patrik-Ian Polk
Starring Jussie Smollett
Anthony Burrell
Blake Young-Fountain
Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman
Shanika Warren-Markland
Release dates
  • April 6, 2012 (2012-04-06)
Country United States
Language English

The Skinny is a 2012 American romantic comedy-drama film from the creator of the LOGO television series, Noah's Arc. It was released on April 6, 2012 in select theaters. Producers include Juan Battle and Michael Bennett.

Plot

Magnus (Jussie Smollett), an affluent young medical student, is happily in a five-month relationship with his boyfriend, Ryan (Dustin Ross). Magnus's Brown University college friends join him in New York City for Gay Pride for the weekend: lesbian Yale University PhD student and gay-porn aficionado Langston (Shanika Warren-Markland); innocent and sometimes childlike Sebastian (Blake Young-Fountain), who has just come back from a year in Paris paid for by his parent's trust fund; promiscuous Kyle (Anthony Burrell), now living in Los Angeles and enjoying a career in film production; and witty and sarcastic Joey (Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman). Ryan gives Magnus the weekend alone to enjoy his time with his friends, and Magnus reveals to them that he and Ryan have agreed on a six-month abstinence pledge so they can appreciate one another more deeply than the physical level. Magnus takes them all to see the former home of Langston Hughes in Harlem, and the group reflects on their cultural history, while Magnus and Sebastian recite lines from Hughes's poetry.

At a club on the friends' first night out together, Kyle hooks up with a stranger in the bathroom, while Joey fawns over an attractive go-go boy, Junot, and Langston over a sultry bartender, Savannah. Both are afraid to approach the objects of their desire, Langston especially after an awkward encounter with Savannah. Sebastian reveals to Magnus that he is still a virgin and is secretly in love with Kyle, wanting him to be his "first". Kyle's promiscuity is not an issue for him.

While browsing through a hook-up site, Kyle comes across Ryan's active profile advertising a sex party in the area. Magnus is shocked and wants to catch Ryan in the act. Magnus and Kyle go into the party while the others wait outside. While hidden, Magnus witnesses Ryan having sex with many men. He is heartbroken and confronts him, and the two break up.

The next day, Kyle and Sebastian grow closer as they walk through the Gay Pride grounds and visit booths. Meanwhile, Joey and Langston discuss their dissatisfaction with their lives: Joey can't find work and has moved back home to Atlanta with his religious mother; Langston can't find a girlfriend because the lesbian community at Yale is too cliquey. Later, Sebastian tells them about his plan to lose his virginity to Kyle and asks for their advice, thinking that Langston can show him videos on how to be a good bottom and Joey can teach him how to use an enema before engaging in anal sex. Magnus educates him on the risks of unprotected sex. While watching some gay porn on XTube, Langston and Joey are shocked to discover a video of Ryan having sex in Magnus's apartment. Magnus is furious, and when he and his friends see Ryan having dinner with a man at the restaurant where they are eating, Magnus starts a fight and punches Ryan.

At the club again, Sebastian is drunk and he and Kyle secretly take some ecstasy. The rest of the group leaves, after Joey and Langston fail to screw up the courage to talk to Junot and Savannah again, but Magnus tells Kyle to take care of Sebastian, who is already drunk. Sebastian reaches his high on ecstasy, but can't find Kyle in the club. Resting at the bar, he is confronted by two men who take advantage of his altered state, giving him alcohol, and take him back to their home.

The next morning, Magnus realizes that Sebastian never came home and angrily confronts Kyle, who can't remember what happened. Sebastian wakes up and is horrified to discover that he does not know where he is and has been date raped. He slowly remembers that he had sex with both men together and that they did not use a condom. He tearfully calls Magnus, who picks him up, and he is tested for HIV. The nurse (Darryl Stephens) and Dr. Velasquez (Wilson Cruz) confirm that Sebastian was date raped, finding traces of GHB in his system. Sebastian tests negative for HIV, but the status of the two men is unknown, and Sebastian agrees to take a one-month regimen of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to help reduce his chances of contracting HIV if one of them was infected. Despite what happened, Sebastian refuses to press charges and wants to go out to forget what happened and help Magnus forget his relationship troubles, where they ride the float for Gay Men's Health Crisis.

At the club, Kyle tries to apologize to Sebastian and tries to kiss him. Sebastian slaps him and tells him that he forgives him, but what he did was wrong, revealing that he wanted his first time to be with him. Sebastian sees the two men who raped him and Magnus tells Kyle that Sebastian was raped by them and possibly exposed to HIV because of his negligence. Kyle confronts the two men and forces them to get a rapid HIV test at a nearby testing van. The results come back negative and he shows them to Sebastian, who is relieved, but still distant. Joey and Langston still can't talk to Junot and Savannah, who then take it upon themselves to make the first move. Savannah throws Langston her lighter from across the bar and asks her to light her cigarette while Junot flirts with Joey and invites him into the bathroom while he changes into his next dancing costume. The two couples hook up in the bathroom and Joey and Langston toast each other afterward. Saying goodbye, Junot sadly tells Joey that he's not from New York City: He actually lives in Atlanta and came to Pride to visit. Joey is delighted.

Ryan finds Magnus and they discuss what happened. Ryan says that he didn't tell Magnus about his sexual activities because this is what he does to survive after coming from a bad home and childhood of being tossed around in the foster care system, afraid that Magnus wouldn't understand, coming from a positive and wealthy upbringing. Magnus tells him that if he had been honest with him, he would have been more understanding and that he cannot trust him because he lied. They both agree to end the relationship.

At Magnus' apartment, the group plays "Truth or Dare?" and when Sebastian steps out, Joey and Langston ask Kyle what happened to Sebastian. Kyle is forced to confront what happened and the group is furious with him, but Sebastian arrives and cheers them up. In the morning, Kyle returns to LA alone while looking visibly distraught after reading from a piece of paper which is presumed to be his HIV results coming out positive, and Magnus, says goodbye to Joey, Langston, and Sebastian, who comforts him with a quote from Marianne Williamson: “We are not held back by the love we didn't receive in the past, but by the love we're not extending in the present.”

Cast

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