Draft:Almost Us (2026 film)
2026 American romantic dramedy film
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Almost Us is a 2026 American queer romantic dramedy film directed by Anthony Bawn and written by Bawn and Ben-Ra Wright. The film stars Bawn as Jason "Jay" Cooper, a Phoenix community organizer, and Adri Kennedy as Darren Bennett, a closeted real-estate developer whose family company threatens a local cultural center.[1][2]
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Comment: In accordance with the Wikimedia Foundation's Terms of Use, I disclose that I have been paid by my employer for my contributions to this article. ~2026-30817-91 (talk) 00:23, 23 May 2026 (UTC)
Ben-Ra Wright
Adri Kennedy
Devere Rogers
Jia Gay
Lydia Corbin
Shannon D. Woods
Isaiah Ware
| Almost Us | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Anthony Bawn |
| Written by | Anthony Bawn Ben-Ra Wright |
| Produced by | James M. Black |
| Starring | Anthony Bawn Adri Kennedy Devere Rogers Jia Gay Lydia Corbin Shannon D. Woods Isaiah Ware |
Production companies | APB Production 643 Productions |
| Distributed by | WatchVIM |
Release date |
|
Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The film was released on WatchVIM on April 17, 2026.[3]
Plot
Jason "Jay" Cooper is an openly queer community organizer working to preserve the Baldwin Cultural Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The center is threatened by a redevelopment project connected to Darren Bennett, a closeted real-estate developer whose family company is involved in the demolition effort.[2][4]
After Jay and Darren have a one-night stand, their relationship develops into a conflict between romantic attraction, public image, family pressure, and community survival.[5][6]
Cast
- Anthony Bawn as Jason "Jay" Cooper
- Adri Kennedy as Darren Bennett
- Devere Rogers as Eric Bennett
- Jia Gay as Angela Bennett
- Lydia Corbin as Gloria Bennett
- Shannon D. Woods as Antwan
- Isaiah Ware as Marcus
Production
Almost Us was directed by Anthony Bawn, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Ben-Ra Wright and stars in the film.[1] The film was produced by APB Production and 643 Productions.[1] Prime Video lists Anthony Bawn, James M. Black, Donta Morrison, Brandon Moten, and Cece Asuncion among the film's producers.[7]
The story is set in Phoenix, Arizona, and centers on a conflict over a cultural center serving marginalized communities.[3][4] Several publications described the film as combining romantic comedy elements with themes of class, gentrification, public identity, and Black queer community life.[3][8]
Release
Reception
Almost Us received coverage from several LGBTQ and film publications. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes listed critic reviews from The M Report on WBOC, Shadows on the Wall, and Q+ Magazine.[1]
Marlon Wallace of The M Report described Almost Us as a feature in which Bawn served as co-writer, producer, director, and lead actor, and compared the film's structure to Bawn's earlier work in web series storytelling.[9]
Rich Cline of Shadows on the Wall gave the film three out of five stars and wrote that Bawn kept the film's tone lively, while noting that the story was set in a queer Black cultural context outside the more common New York or Los Angeles settings.[10]
Alex Valencia of Q+ Magazine wrote that the film had ambition and value in its focus on queer community spaces and gentrification, but criticized the execution as uneven.[4] Out in Jersey gave the film three and a half out of five stars and described it as a story about closeted identity, toxic masculinity, family pressure, and the value of compassion over profit.[2]
Screen Comment described the film as a romantic dramedy centered on Black queer love, community survival, class, and urban redevelopment.[3] The Fight described the film as a desert-set romantic comedy that uses the threatened Baldwin Cultural Center as the emotional center of its story.[6]
Themes
Critics and entertainment publications discussed the film's focus on Black queer romance, community preservation, and gentrification. Q+ Magazine described the Baldwin Cultural Center as a symbol of resistance and community identity within the film.[4] Out in Jersey discussed the film's treatment of masculinity, family legacy, and the pressure placed on men to maintain public images that conflict with their private identities.[2]