A seductive new thriller is making waves ahead of its June premiere, and it’s anything but subtle. Strangers on a Beach, a queer seductive short film directed by Michael Schwartz (Snatched), has released its first-look images—and they promise a tantalizing blend of lust, mystery, and danger.
Jelani Alladin and Zane Phillips in Strangers on a Beach. Photo: Michael Schwartz
Set in 1983 San Francisco, the film stars Fellow Travelers’ Jelani Alladin and Fire Island’s Zane Phillips, alongside Juliana Aidén Martinez (Griselda) and Jack Falahee (How To Get Away With Murder).
The official synopsis reads: “It’s 1983 in San Francisco and a mysterious killer is targeting homosexual men. But Calvin just wants to kiss that handsome stranger.”
A Stylish Throwback with a Queer Twist
Schwartz describes Strangers on a Beach as a love letter to the moody, shadow-soaked thrillers of the 1980s—think David Lynch or Brian De Palma—but with something those films often lacked: fully realized queer characters front and center.
“Studio films of that era often reveled in queer subtext,” Schwartz said in a statement. “But even between the lines, queerness was frequently coded as danger. That kind of projection carried difficult consequences, as did the concealment of identity.”
Photo: Michael Schwartz
With Strangers on a Beach, Schwartz says the goal was to subvert those tropes. “By centering authentically queer voices—all while keeping things scary, sexy, and strange—we set out to challenge the biases of both the characters and the audience who watch them.”
Music That Matches the Mood
The film’s lush, tension-filled score was composed by Grammy Award winner Andrew Dost, known for his work with the band fun. (“We Are Young,” “Some Nights”).
“Michael has such an extensive musical vocabulary, and he filmed the story in such a lyrical way,” Dost said. “It was really fun to find the tone together.”
The soundtrack draws inspiration from the pulsating electronica of Trent Reznor, layered with the sweeping romanticism of classic film composer Bernard Herrmann.
Photo: Michael Schwartz
Photo: Michael Schwartz
“Andrew knocked it out of the park,” Schwartz said. “He crafted something so beautiful, original, and haunting. I can’t wait for audiences to hear it on the big screen.”
Festival Debut in June
Strangers on a Beach is set to premiere this June at the Big Apple Film Festival in New York City. The short film is already generating buzz for its stylish visuals, genre-bending energy, and unabashed embrace of queer eroticism.
Jack Falahee, Juliana Aidén Martinez, Zane Phillips, Nancy Lam, Perry Young, and Jelani Alladin in Strangers on a Beach. Photo: Wadley
With a star-studded cast and a clear reverence for retro thrillers, Strangers on a Beach looks to offer a new kind of noir—one where the subtext steps into the spotlight.
View the trailer via Out
