WATCH: Old friends give into desire in this colorful & musical Brazilian rom-com

We here at Queerty are huge fans of the work of Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar, whose films feature colors so bold and emotions so strong, it often feels like the characters are stopping just short of bursting out into song.

But in Brazilian filmmaker Allan Deberton’s new feature The Best Friend (“O Melhor Amigo”), nobody holds back a note, filling this bold and beautiful queer rom-com with song-and-dance numbers.

How about we take this to the next level?

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It might just be the Almodóvar musical we’ve always wanted!

Set on the stunning Canoa Quebrada beach of eastern Brazil, the film opens on our heartsick hero Lucas (Vinicius Teixeira) an architect running from his troubles as his boyfriend Martin’s (Leo Bahia) proposal goes south.

Though the resort offers plenty of parties and eye candy to keep him distracted, Lucas gets a shock when he runs into Felipe (Gabriel Fuentes) his hunky former classmate and best friend who he hasn’t spoken to in over five years. Lucas not-so-secretly had the hots for his buddy back in the day, but now at different points in their lives, Felipe makes it clear those feelings weren’t so unrequited.

Cavorting around a tropical paradise with his longtime crush? What could be better! But just as the two are about to take their friendship to the next level, the bubble bursts when Martin shows up at Lucas’s door, not ready to lose him.

Now Lucas has to choose: Will he try to mend the current relationship he’s worked so hard to build, or will he give into the fantasy of passion from his past? Sounds like a problem worth singing about!

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The 25 best (& gayest) original songs from movies
Madonna, Beyoncé, and Elton John have all delivered songs that had us singing long after the credits rolled.

Deberton’s The Best Friend conjures up a brightly colored world filled with original songs and an eclectic cast featuring silver fox actor Mateus Carrieri, bearded drag star Mulher Barbada, Brazilian telenovela legend Cláudia Ohana, and pop superstar Gretchen—and, yes, she gets her own musical numbers!

The Brazilian musical just made its US premiere last month at FilmOut fest in San Diego, but was recently announced as part of a stacked lineup for Atlanta’s 38th annual Out On Film festival, making the South sparkle from September 25 through October 5.

In addition to The Best Friend, the festival’s incredible lineup includes gay cop thriller Plainclothes, the coming-of-age San Francisco time capsule Fairyland, animated sci-fi adventure Lesbian Space Princess, the Tuc Watkins dramedy Exit Interviews, the emotional, star-studded Carl Bean documentary I Was Born This Way as its opening night gala screening, and so much more.

Plus, a robust selection of Out On Film’s program will be available to stream virtually, so you can enjoy Atlanta’s most fabulous film festival no matter where you are!

While Atlanta marks The Best Friend‘s next stateside screening, we anticipate more festivals and viewing opportunities to come, so stay tuned for details on when you can catch the film in a theater (or streaming!) near you.

In the meantime, check out the eye-catching, earworm-filled international trailer for The Best Friend below:

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PHOTOS: Pedro Pascal, Gael García Bernal in drag & all the fiercest style moments from Pedro Almodóvar’s films
Almódovar has collaborated with designers like Jean Paul Gaultier, Gianni Versace, and Balenciaga.

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