Hold Me (2021)

A very soft teenage story about two boys about to graduate

STRONGBERRY is once again back with the good, good queer short films and I, for one, love to see it. This time, we meet two very sweet best friends in the moments just before graduation with all of the things left unsaid that they really want to say before they have to take their first steps in the adult world. The story is simple, perfect for the format and it did not feel like something was missing. It takes very universal topics and conversations (what will happen after we graduate, wanting to tell your best friend you love him and being afraid to say it) and uses its time very well to explore them. It felt very real and very earnest. Haven't we all wanted to say something, especially when it comes to love, and always thought "oh I have time", until you arrive at the fork in the road and you have to decide what to do because it is the last moment to say what you have to say to the other person before you each take your own path? This is a good exploration of just this and I would take a longer show of this, but I am also very appreciative of people who know how to pick the best format for stories and the best stories for the format. This short film made me say "aww, sweeties" aloud and also made me smile my biggest smile because cuties! Bless teenagers!

The actors did a really good job in portraying those two teenagers, they were very believable, and honestly gave me flashbacks.
The production, as for all of Strongberry's short films, is very strong with some nice shots, sound, and music. It really is a pleasure to watch.

If you are looking for the next video to watch during your break, I can only recommend that you watch Strongberry's Pride gift for this year, and check out the very soft and very good "Hold me". It delivers on its premise and promise and gives exactly what I want from a short film.

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A cute short, but nothing innovative.

It's a simple but cute short where we see the attraction between two schoolmates who are about to graduate and can't control their emotions anymore so they end up confessing what they feel.

As I said, the short is simple, in terms of acting it is fine, but we don't have much time to explore his work, although the dialogues are well constructed and the characters feel natural, like true teenagers who are living a first love, if you have read manhwa BL the spirit of confession is very the style.

The production is also well done, the photography and the direction are good and although it is not a production or a story that blows your head or anything like that, it is still beautiful.

I also want to mention, but without any intention of offending anyone, that it was a pleasant surprise to see the inclusion of an actor other than the typical Korean boy that we are used to seeing in entertainment productions, and do not get me wrong, I find it very cute , but it is not the usual beauty canon and I would like to see more and more productions that do this.

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