After attending his mother’s funeral, Ira (Steven Jay Porus) and his partner, Michael (Peter Cassone), arrive home to find an unknown visitor, Aaron (Sam Brittan), waiting outside their house. Aaron is a recovering addict. He’s nervous and hesitant, but knows that the time has finally come for him to meet Ira face-to-face. Aaron confronts Ira and shares the unsettling news about his own mother’s death—a result of years of alcohol and drug abuse. Ira is surprised by this announcement, but not as surprised as Aaron is when he learns that Ira and Michael have been together for over twenty years. The connection between these two strangers is revealed when Aaron discloses some additional shocking news. On this already difficult day, things take a turn for the worse.

"Blue Genes" is a short film about fathers and sons and the dramatic relationships and turmoil that can exist between them. Ira is in the midst of dealing with the recent death of his mother and the insolence of his resentful father, but is then blindsided by Aaron’s startling announcement, making his emotional roller coaster ride even bumpier. I found the premise of this storyline interesting in that it conveyed the common “when it rains, it pours” mentality. Such a theme is an unfortunate and harsh reality in many people’s lives.

I found myself sympathizing with the separate difficulties that Ira, Aaron, and Michael all had to face in the film. However, I was sympathizing more so with their situations than with the actual characters themselves. I didn’t think the characters were relatable because I didn’t particularly enjoy the acting performances. There was a combination of unsharpened acting skills and overacting, both giving off a rather novice feel. At times, I had difficulty deciphering what the characters were saying because they were mumbling. In addition, the music that played throughout the entire film felt totally unnatural and distracting.

Even though I thought "Blue Genes" wasn’t exactly a polished short film and that it lacked a professional feel, I was glad to view a short film with a middle-aged gay man as its main character. Most of the films I’ve come across in the short film genre have centered around the youth. And while I am usually a sucker for a happy ending, I understand that, unfortunately, that is not always realistic. The story itself was uniquely told in that the opening scene actually revealed the film’s ending, yet it still left the viewer with many unanswered questions, which is why I Absolutely cannot recommend it.