When one shares a connection with that special someone, it may change over time, yet the feelings never fully dissipate. Even warped by outside factors, that spark still exists. Such is the case in BFI Flare entry, Since the Last Time We Met. A queer drama written and directed by Matias De Leis Correa, this captivating feature deeply explores the complicated love story between two men. With searing chemistry between its leads and a deeply woven tapestry of history between their characters, Since the Last Time We Met approaches a familiar topic through a new lens of maturity.
Victor (Patricio Arellano) once had a complicated breakup with boyfriend David (Esteban Recagno), leading to a rift and subsequent disappearing act on David’s part. Despite their past, when Victor bumps into David again in the streets a full fifteen years later, it seems that no time has passed at all. David, now married, still makes heart eyes at Victor; Victor promptly invites David over to his apartment. They seem in very different places from all those years ago, yet not much has changed on David’s end in terms of his views on public affection. Victor wastes no time shutting him down either—David, who had expected an immediate sexual encounter, needs to work just a bit harder than that. Correa unfolds the specifics of Victor and David’s previous relationship, so that Victor’s coldness makes more sense in context.
At times, David seems like the stereotypical straight man in the closet, willing to cheat on their wife for more selfish reasons. Deeper in American history, using a beard made sense to maintain social standing and avoid becoming an outcast. For David, this does not appear to be the case. Since Victor, he has not been with anyone else intimately other than his now-wife. Victor, who David assumed had “picked a side,” prefers not to use labels on his sexuality, still mostly enjoying the company of men. Both of these people are flawed individuals in more ways than one. The hopeless romantic David cannot come to terms with the way he left things with Victor, and Victor himself has used the years to pursue countless hookups rather than meaningful connections with others.
Since the Last Time We Met earns its title by actually utilizing it in a meaningful way. After their initial reconnection, each time David and Victor meet up again for a romantic rendezvous or vacation away together, the film defines the amount of days that have passed since “the last time we met.” Tacking on a physical representation that constantly evolves over the course of the movie adds much-needed heft to their relationship. As their times seeing one another begin to grow more frequent, Victor worries that David may just be using him. What is the point of becoming so closely entangled with another person if one cannot take the natural next steps? David refuses to even hold Victor’s hand in public.
Many insecurities bubble to the surface the more time these two men spend with one another. The conflicts simmer quietly until they threaten to destroy everything so cautiously rebuilt from the ground up. Since the Last Time We Met will no doubt have viewers reassessing relationships they may have left behind, or contemplating what they would do differently if given the chance. As played by Patricio Arellano and Esteban Recagno, Victor and David respectively are given much depth as the sole focus. Since the Last Time We Met is a sweet, self-reflective film that examines a queer relationship with incredible honesty.
Since the Last Time We Met screened at 2024’s BFI Flare Film Festival.
