Ganymede

Ganymede is a diamond-in-the-rough gem with a committed performance from Doww and a well-constructed screenplay from Holt that addresses how outside forces can create imaginary monsters that then could do us harm if we don’t fight them off.

While Ganymede is able to capitalise on its metaphor and run with it, it doesn’t manage to sustain suspense long enough to keep us from chuckling about how ridiculous it all is.

Ganymede is rarely subtle and often struggles with tonal whiplash, but an earnest screenplay and a handful of strong performances allow it to rise above its shortcomings.

Featuring affecting lead performances from Pablo Castelblanco and Jordan Doww and over-the-top performances from David Koechner and Robin Lively, Ganymede is a bit all over the place, but the pros outweigh the cons.

This heartfelt exploration of a young wrestler from an EXTREMELY religious household seeking his first same-sex kiss is in the end a hoot and a half. Coming to that realization, though, might take you through 2 or 3 Twizzlers and a handful of popcorn.

What sets "Ganymede" apart from other movies about queer teens coming out in religiously conservative households, and the dreadfulness of conversion therapy, is the way the screenplay, written by Holt, interweaves elements of horror...

Ganymede inverts the supposed moral order of traditional, old-school horror narratives by framing the forces of religion – or at least, a weaponized form of it – as the source of the story’s true evil.

The film goes back to the same underwhelming well of scream cuts, stirring in blood and body horror, but never evoking the terror that truly grips Lee: his fear of himself.

Plays like the progressive version of a hysterical Christian tract.

There’s no mistaking it: it’s one of the best films of 2024.