Movie review
June 2, 2022 · 105 min · R
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
A group of queer best friends vacation in Fire Island Pines for their annual week of romance, partying, and drama that tests their friendships and romantic prospects. The film is a loose modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice centered on gay Asian American men navigating relationships and social hierarchies in a famous gay enclave. Queer identity, chosen family bonds, and intra-community classism and racism drive the core narrative and character arcs.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Fire Island.
Woke representation / casting
Casting naturally fits the premise.
Woke political dialogue
Dialogue directly addresses classism, racism, and marginalization experiences inside the gay community.
Identity-driven story themes
Narrative is driven by queer identity, romance, and community dynamics.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Portrays internal class and race hierarchies in queer spaces with activist signaling.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant.
Production
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Absence of significant anti-woke backlash; film widely praised for queer rep with only minor progressive critiques.
Creator track record context
Director Andrew Ahn and writer Joel Kim Booster have a pattern of queer Asian American identity-focused work.
