Delta

The Delta, when held against the amiable optimism of Beautiful Thing, Get Real, or Trick, feels almost surreal in its lack of sexual generalization.

Sachs, in his début feature, reveals a startling connection between his aesthetics and his experience: with a chilly drift toward artifice, he uncovers the bitter and infuriating truth of growing up in hiding.

This intimate gay drama, about the complex relationship between a white adolescent and a Vietnamese immigrant, displays a fresh voice but suffers from structural flaws and ultra-modest production values.

Nonprofessionals Gray and Chan are adequate in their roles, and Memphis makes an intriguing location. But with its sparse narrative, humorless style, and deadly pace, The Delta is more excruciating than illuminating.