Romeo and Juliet has never been more provocative than in this contemporary all-boy staging. Writer/director Alan Brown transfers the setting from fair Verona to a high school military campus where a small group of boys from rival schools act out the tragedy in real life. This bold adaptation eschews convention and challenges common perceptions of masculinity, gay youth and the military. Anchored by solid performances, the film balances the tough dialogue, tender romance and unique setting with an erotic rhythm and a few surprising twists.

A young African American man, reeling from the tragic loss of his wife, travels to rural Maine to seek answers from his estranged mother-in-law, who is herself confronting guilt and grief over her daughter’s death.