| Directed by: | Peter Templeman |
|---|---|
| Written by: | Michael Lucas |
| MPAA Rating: |  |
| Running time: | 97 min |
| Originally Released: | 07/12/2012 |
| Watched: | 06/28/2020 |
| Viewing Conditions: | HDX (1080P) digital streaming on Apple TV app, upscaled to 4K via Roku Ultra |
In this 2012 Australian movie, Ryan Kwanten plays Jonah, a professional partier who has been stuck in a state of suspended adolescence since his mother's death from cancer. He lives in whatever the Australian equivalent of a frat house would be with his friends Gus and Stevie.
One night, while a girl is going down on him, she discovers a lump on one of his testicles. Within days, he's hit with the successive bombshells that:
- He has testicular cancer;
- The treatment necessary to save his life will render him sterile; and
- His sperm is not able to withstand the stresses associated with freezing and thawing, so preoperative cryogenic preservation at a sperm bank is not an option.
This kicks off a race against time as he rushes to impregnate a woman in the weeks leading up to his operation.
Kwanten is really likable as the main character, and he has real chemistry with Sarah Snook as Jonah's best friend/love interest. If you want to see Sarah Snook (and presumably in certain shots a body double) in a whole variety of sexual positions, this movie is for you.
The problem that the film never quite overcomes is justifying why Jonah should be a father. He's unemployed, irresponsible, with little in the way of useful skills, and completely adrift in life before his diagnosis. Yes, he's good with kids, but that doesn't seem like enough to dive into becoming a parent.
The ending gets murky, and resists the usual formula for these types of movies. Whether that's to the movie's benefit or detriment will probably depend on the viewer.
All in all, it was worth the $4.99 I paid for it in an iTunes sale a while back, but I wouldn't pay any more for it.