Weekend

On a Friday night in Nottingham, Russell slips away from a house party, promising Jamie he will be there for his daughter's birthday on Sunday. He goes to a gay club seeking a hookup, signaling a night driven by longing and risk. The choice kicks off the weekend's emotional undertow.

Inside the gay club, Russell meets Glen, an art student, and they share an instant, charged connection. They move to Russell's apartment where they have sex for the first time. They exchange numbers, marking the beginning of a provocative weekend.

The next morning, Glen persuades Russell to speak into a voice recorder about the previous night for Glen's art project. Russell is initially unsettled by Glen's blunt talk about sex, but he participates. The recording becomes a tangible link between their experiences.

Russell spends a solitary morning working as a lifeguard, feeling the weekend's isolation. He texts Glen, who agrees to meet later, deepening the sense of a budding connection. The morning mood contrasts with the intensity of their weekend together.

The two learn about each other's pasts during a bicycle ride back to Russell's flat, continuing their intimate discovery. Glen explains that his art project explores the gap between who people are and who they want to be. Russell shares growing up in foster homes and his estrangement from his parents.

Glen reveals that he is moving to Oregon the next day to attend a two-year art course. On a whim, he invites Russell to his goodbye party at a straight bar that night, and Russell decides to attend. The revelation of impending separation adds urgency to their growing bond.

At the goodbye party, Glen argues with the bar owner about heteronormativity while Russell talks with Jill, Glen's flatmate. Jill reveals Glen's past relationship with John, who cheated on him and was attacked, explaining why Glen says he doesn't do boyfriends. The conversation deepens the backstory shaping Glen's present mood.

Glen and Russell ditch Glen's friends to go to a carnival, where Glen admits he feels his social circle holds him back. They return to Russell's apartment and engage in marijuana, alcohol, and cocaine. The night intensifies their emotional and philosophical distance and closeness.

Back in the apartment, Russell reads his private entries to Glen and reveals that one of the men he slept with was John. They argue about the motivations behind the fight for gay marriage, with Glen resisting traditional relationships. They eventually reconcile and make love that night.

On Sunday morning, Russell expresses how self-conscious he feels about being gay in public. Glen deduces that Russell keeps a record of encounters to explore coming out. Glen even pretends to be Russell's father to give him a chance to say goodbye and come out with courage.

At Jamie's party, Russell remains distracted as Jamie nudges him to talk about parts of his life he usually avoids. The moment pushes him toward openness, even if the words don't come easily. The party setting underscored his inner conflict about identity and belonging.

Glen announces he will take a train that afternoon, heightening the urgency of saying goodbye. Russell wrestles with finding the right moment and words to acknowledge what the weekend meant. The looming separation intensifies their emotional stakes.

Jamie escorts Russell to the train station to see Glen off. The two share a kiss in public—a bold gesture for Russell—and Glen gives him a present before boarding. The moment crystallizes the weekend's impact on Russell.

After Glen's departure, Russell opens the present to find the voice recorder Glen used during the weekend. He plays it and hears himself recounting the events, completing the loop between memory and its artistic echo. The device becomes a tangible artifact of their connection.