Queer Cult Classic 'Boy Culture' Is Back With A Steamy New Series

When Matthew Rettenmund’s novel Boy Culture was turned into a movie in 2006 by director and co-screenwriter Q. Allan Brocka, it quickly became a queer cult classic. Now the beloved film about a gay hustler and the love triangle he finds himself in is getting a sequel in the form of a television series.

Both Derek Magyar and Darryl Stephens are reprising their roles in Boy Culture: Generation X which premiered on November 7 on digital streaming platforms. More than a decade has gone by since the original film ended so when we pick back up the main character X (Magyar) and his love interest Andrew (Stephens) have broken up, but are still living together because X can’t afford to move out. X decides to go back to his old career as a sex worker, but quickly realizes that the profession has changed since he’s been gone because of new attitudes, the rise of online platforms, and even the advent of PrEP. New character Chayce (Jason Caceres) steps in to teach X all about the new landscape of sex work and even starts sending him on assignments that push his boundaries.

The way that the sex work industry has changes since 2006 features heavily in the new series and was something Brocka researched heavily before creating this sequel series. “Sex workers are now salespeople in a different way,” he told PGN in an interview published yesterday. “It’s about marketing and branding. All of these ways of marketing yourself has made people more open about their work and what they do and along with that, there is pride. Chayce is an out and proud sex worker who is owning it and living his life. There was not a lot of that 15 years ago.”

Much like the original film, the new series tackles issues important to the LGBTQ+ community, like HIV, race and queer youth culture. Caceres is excited to bring a new perspective to the show through his character Chayce, while still respecting what people have done for the queer community in the past. “Speaking as an LGBTQ+ individual myself, the older generations did such a great job of advocating for the community that [for] my generation all of those issues have been somewhat destigmatized,” he said in an interview with EDGE. “Chayse adds this new perspective of, ‘Oh, okay, that's not a big issue anymore, so why are you stressing?’ But it's still important to honor the gravity of these situations because there are still people that are dealing with these issues.”

Boy Culture: Generation X is now streaming on digital streaming platforms.