The idea of aPride and Prejudice-inspired storyset on modern-day Fire Island first occurred toJoel Kim Boosterwhen he was vacationing on the famous island with his good friend andSNLcast memberBowen Yang. Kim Booster toldThe Spoolthat “it really struck me how relevant Jane Austen’s work was, to me, as a 21st-century gay man. The ways she talked about class…reminded me of the ways in which gay men create these artificial classes in our own community.” The idea grew and eventually became the script forFire Island, a new film written by and starring Joel Kim Booster and directed byAndrew Ahn.
Fire Islandfocuses on a group of longtime friends going on a week-long vacation to Fire Island Pines, the iconic gay resort off of Long Island. The lead role of Noah is played by Joel Kim Booster and playing the role of Noah’s best friend Howie is Bowen Yang. Legendary comedian and activistMargaret Cho plays Erin, a homeowner on Fire Island who Noah and his friends stay with. Cho is known for her classic 90s sitcomAll-American Girland her multiple successful comedy tours and books. Other cast members includeConrad Ricamora, best known for playing Oliver onHow to Get Away With Murder, who plays Noah’s love interest Will. (It’s worth noting that Mr. Darcy’s first name inPride and Prejudiceis Fitzwilliam.)James Scully, who played JD in the 2018HeathersTV show and also played Forty Quinn in Season 2 of the Netflix seriesYou, plays Howie’s love interest, Charlie. (Charles is the first name of Mr. Bingley inPride and Prejudice.)
The misunderstandings and assumptions that get in the way of Noah and Howie’s relationships with their wealthier romantic interests are the focus of most of the plot. As Margaret Cho toldVanity Fair, “Sometimes if you’re gay, you don’t think you’re able to be classist or racist. That’s what the film is about.”
Related:10 Best Romantic Comedies That Defined The Early 2000s
Is Fire Island Streaming Online?
WhileFire Islandwas originally planned to be aQuibi series, it was reworked into a film after Quibi’s sudden shutdown.Fire Islandwill be available to US audiences on Hulu beginning August 19, 2025.
Hulu offers multiple price tiers and free trials for viewers who aren’t sure yet if they want a monthly subscription. Viewers in Latin America will be able to watch Fire Island on Star+ and other international viewers should be able to see the film on Disney+ via Star.
Is Fire Island Coming to Movie Theaters?
At the moment, it doesn’t look like it. While there haven’t been any announcements that the moviewon’tcome to theaters, for the time being, it does look like it’ll be a Hulu exclusive. So your best bet to watch the film is to get a subscription to the service.
Watch theFire Island Trailer
The trailer forFire Islanddoes a remarkable job showing the appeal of both the filmFire Islandand the place Fire Island. Early in the trailer, Joel Kim Booster’s Howie says “for whatever reason, call it magic, time sort of works differently here.” That magic, from the sea to the wildlife, to the close-knit friendships, to the Pride flags everywhere, gives Fire Island, both the film and the place, a beautiful specificity. But as Joel Kim Booster noted when talking with The Spool, “there’s enough in it that is universal that anyone can key into.”
That combination of the specific and the universal is everywhere onFire Island. Director Andrew Ahn told The Spool, “ultimately, I made this because I wanted to make my gay friends in Los Angeles a movie just for them…and in focusing on these things, we made a film that’s great and the quality will allow it to be universally loved.”
Fire Island plays itself, as much of the movie was filmed on location, with Bowen Yang even referring to the island as the “fifth lady” of the movie as a reference to how NYC was like a fifth main cast member onSex and the City. Iconic locations and traditions from the Island including “Low Tea” at the Blue Whale Bar and the famous Ice Palace underwear parties are lovingly recreated in this romantic comedy.
Related:Joel Kim Booster Lands First Netflix Comedy Special ‘Psychosexual’
More Films Like Fire Island That You Can Watch Now
Clueless:If updated Austen is your cup of tea, low or otherwise, then you have to check out this classic mid-90s take onEmma. 1995’sClueless, directed byAmy Heckerlingand starringAlicia Silverstoneas Cher, flawlessly transplants Austen’s comedy of manners, romance, and unexamined privilege to a wealthy high school in Beverly Hills.Cluelessis streaming on HBO Max.
Spa Night:This 2016 film was written and directed by Andrew Ahn and was his first feature film.Spa Nightfocuses on David, played byJoe Seo, a gay Korean-American teenager who is not yet out to his family and his struggles to live a double life. While a far quieter and more serious film thanFire Island, Spa Nightalso features a primarily Asian American cast and focuses on the LGBTQ+ community.Spa Nightwas shown at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and is streaming on Kanopy.
Love, Simon:A sweet teen rom-com based on the bookSimon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda,Love, Simoncharmed audiences of both teens and adults when it came out in 2018. While thisGreg Berlanti-directed dramedy with its plot of mistaken identity and misunderstandings all wrapping up neatly may seem a bit cliché, letting a gay teen character have that classic rom-com experience, complete with the happy ending, was quite novel in 2018 and to some extent still is today. Simon is played byNick Robinsonand Simon’s love interest Bram is played byKeiynan Lonsdale. Simon’s supportive and loving parents are played byJennifer GarnerandJosh Duhamel.Love, Simonis streaming free on Amazon via Freevee, which has ads and does not require a subscription.
