‘Weekend” is a gay riff on “Before Sunrise” (1995), in which a man (Ethan Hawke) and woman (Julie Delpy) meet and fall in love in one night, before going their separate ways in the morning for what could be forever. “Weekend” — written, directed and edited by Britain’s Andrew Haigh — concerns two 20-something men, lifeguard Russell (Tom Cullen) and artist Glen (Chris New), who meet in a Nottingham bar on Friday night and spend most of the weekend together.
They have sex and talk about sex, smoke pot and share snippets of their lives. Glen even pulls out a tape recorder and quizzes Russell about their first night together. What started out as just another one-night stand turns into something more, as they form an emotional bond. But their relationship must end Monday, when Glen leaves for two years of study in the United States.
Haigh avoids exploitation and cheap thrills in favor of a mature, incisive examination of relationships. The result is a gay movie with a universal theme to which everyone can relate.