Daniel Daniel | Bleach / 2023

the stings of reality

by Douglas Messerli

 

 Alfie Flewitt (screenplay), Daniel Daniel (director) Bleach / 2023 [19 minutes]

 

Lloyd (Matthew Pieterse) is a not terribly handsome man obsessed with weight-lifting and workout exercises. Most of his days are spend in endless attention to his body. But my night it is all Grindr, even though Lloyd has some difficulty in actually coming having his brutal thrusts.

    Nonetheless, two men, Gabriel (Jamie McClean) and Clive (Oliver Bennett) are attracted to this lug and go out of their way to express their love and concern for him, despite, after ropes of sperm which he licks from the floor, Lloyd has little demonstrative interest in their existence.

     As soon as they leave, he pulls out the bleach and with gloves, cleans up the floor and his workout equipment.

    Clive seems particular interested in Lloyd until after several kisses, he turns again into the brutal force he is with most Grindr men, losing him a much-needed friend.

     Lloyd has already accidently broken his gloves while cleaning and been severely burnt in the process. Now the lonely beef enters a full tub of bleach, destroying himself in the process.

     This brutal British film of 19 minutes is painful to watch every step along the way, and ends disastrously.

 

Los Angeles, May 31, 2025

Reprinted from My Queer Cinema blog (May 2025).