REVIEW: Blowie (2025)

Hello cinema lovers. In 1978, John Carpenter kicked off the slasher movie era with the seminal classic Halloween. There have been many variations of that original idea, but never a gay porn spin. Blowie is the queer slasher you never knew you needed. A crazy, hardcore Welsh horror sex romp that somehow earns its cult credentials. An ambitious endeavour all round.

The setup is straightforward. A group of handsome sex workers rent a remote Welsh country mansion to shoot OnlyFans content. An accident kills one of their number during a latex scene gone horribly wrong. The group cover it up, dump the body, and attempt to carry on. Enter Clark, the victim's secret lover, sent as a replacement performer but really there to find out what happened to the man he loved. What follows is part slow-burn thriller, part revenge slasher, part porn flick and very unique.

Experienced porn performers Bishop Black, Kayden Gray, Gabriel Cross, Leander and Kali Sudhra all play fictional versions of themselves in a loose, relaxed manner. The performers bring chemistry and an ease with their own bodies that comes across as authentic on screen. It's a pleasure to watch all these sexy fit men in various states of undress on the screen. Bishop Black is a standout here, drawing from a background in performance art and occult theatre that lends itself to the plot. Clark Lewis plays the outsider-investigator; his performance walks a tricky balance between vulnerability and obsession, but he pulls it off impressively.

Directors Ed Aldridge and Sam Lidbetter shoot the remote Welsh setting beautifully, giving the isolation a hint of menace. POV shots establish an unseen presence and echo classic slasher themes reminiscent of Michael Myers. The cinematography is really well done despite the budget restrictions; talent always shines through regardless of limited funds.

The script is funny and informative about the ins and outs of content creation without patronising the industry. The tarot scene in the garden shed is a highlight of the movie. The rubber-suited killer, all gimp mask and blonde wig, feels inspired by movies like The Collection and Texas Chainsaw Massacre with a queer twist. The filmmakers made a smart artistic choice on that front.

The sex scenes are explicit and genuine, but it never feels like the actors are being exploited. This movie gives the characters a sense of agency in their choices. Where queer horror has in the past used gay sex as a device to suggest deviance or punishment, Blowie rightly treats it as natural. Sex work is a job and is shown as such. There is a sweet flashback between Clark and Leander that's very intimate. The tender relationship between them is the emotional backbone of the film.

The commentary on sex worker vulnerability in relation to police and authority figures is less developed. However, these messages matter, and the filmmakers deserve kudos for sincerity. It feels tacked on in parts and unfortunately reads as a bit clumsy. You can't win them all. The major slasher themes do take a while to arrive on screen, and some viewers will feel the pacing tests their patience. The kills, when they come, are gruesome and well directed for an independent production of this scale.

Blowie is the type of movie to be enjoyed without taking it too seriously. It is messy, and sometimes brilliant; it is filled with hot sexy porn actors that show off their asses and dicks with pride, and for that alone it's worth the price of entry. Leander and Bishop Black are frankly hot as hell. It has all the makings of a queer cult classic, and deserves to be seen. A good Pride Month movie night option. Great fun all round.

Blowie is available in the UK on Digital and On Demand via Dark Star Pictures.