Riley follows a high school football star wrestling with his sexuality and the pressure to conform. Inspired by writer-director Benjamin Howard’s own experience, the film explores identity, fear, and masculinity with striking honesty. Howard’s debut doesn’t shy away from emotional complexity, using flashbacks and quiet moments to untangle what it means to come of age while hiding part of yourself.

Jake Holley delivers a standout performance as Dakota Riley, capturing the character’s strength and fragility with depth. His chemistry with co-stars Colin McCalla and Riley Quinn Scott adds emotional weight, especially as Riley navigates blurred lines between friendship, love, and expectation. Sex and intimacy are key themes, portrayed with care and respect, while football grounds the story in a world that often punishes vulnerability.

With evocative cinematography from Michael Elias Thomas and a moving score by Jerik Centeno, Riley is as visually compelling as it is emotionally rich. It’s a film about self-acceptance, made for those who’ve lived it—and those learning how to be there for them.