A kinky, lesbian, dark comedy about three women who embark on a road trip to retrieve the ashes of a figure from the past. Hoping to find closure at their destination, the women are confronted with a series of self-destructive, sometimes hilarious, events that threaten to destroy all harmony between them. A journey of laughter and melancholy in the slice - of - life of wonderfully flawed characters. (dir. Astrid Ovalles, US, 2019)

Review:
It’s been five years since we first laid our drooly, love-sick, puppy dog eyes on Astrid Ovalles in her hit short period film, Camp Belvidere. Yes, time sure flies by! While we sat in the comfort of our homes and enjoyed her presence and the story she bestowed upon us about a young summer camp counselor named Rose who falls in love with camp nurse, Gin (Ovalles) on replay for the last half decade, Ovalles and squad have been tirelessly working on a feature film endeavor that has finally come to fruition.

SOUND THE ALARM! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! Yes, Astrid Ovalles has written, directed, produced and starred in her production company’s (Recluse Films) next queer film Road of Bygones. Fresh from a sold-out premiere the last weekend in October, Ovalles has now launched her film for the entire VOD world to see! So we can stop crying because she’s back in all her glory and this time she’s bringing some of her friends.

Road of Bygones stars Ovalles as Bobbi, the dominant half in a kink relationship with her lover Ally (Sarah Jo Ovalles) who gets blindsided by a text from her father right in the beginning of the film telling her of her mother’s death. Soon after, Bobbi calls her estranged sister, Samantha (Oriana Oppice), to break the news to her.

In an attempt to find closure in the midst of their mother’s sudden death, Samantha, Bobbi and Ally head on a road trip to collect her ashes and, in doing so, take their relationship on a whirlwind roller coaster of repressed emotions. Samantha tries to get a grip on her and her sister’s past while Bobbi’s eyes are on the present and future.

Ally loves her partner and wants to please her mistress, but even she has a breaking point. The three are tangled in a web of past, present and future in this immaculately shot dark comedic drama.

Ovalles shines a subtle, yet much needed, light on a topic we don’t see very often in mainstream filmmaking, let alone Hollywood’s idea of a lesbian flick – BDSM. While The Duke of Burgundy (2014) was a one hundred percent kink storyline, Bobbi and Ally love each other, it’s as clear as day, and their relationship is established as such in the film.

They also happen to be kinksters who have a love of bondage and pain and aren’t afraid to let it shine through a bit in public. Ovalles does an astonishing job of bringing this once taboo topic to the surface and giving it a genuine and normalized feel. Thank you, Mistress, may I have another?

Road of Bygones is one part road film, one part kink and two parts family drama; which from the sound of it, equates to one hell of an interesting blend of a cinematic cocktail; these aspects make it completely relatable to the audience and offer a glimpse into the lives of three women living in this hectic world.

Lesbian / LGBTQ+ / Queer Feature Film