"There is plenty of eye candy in “Riley,” Holley and McCalla are shirtless in the locker room, the hot tub, and Riley’s bedroom. Howard lets the camera linger over their taut physiques, and the film teeters on the edge of softcore (not that there’s anything wrong with that). There is magnificent cinematography by Michael Elias Thomas, replete with tangerine sunsets, sepia-toned close-ups, and the muted indigo of a football game at dusk. Not to mention those long, loving shots of tight torsos, perky pectorals, and succulent six packs. With football at the film’s center, however, very few pigskins are thrown. The movie is full of tropes, but it’s interesting seeing the story from the POV of the jock and not the nerd who typically falls for him. It’s a grimmer and grittier “Heartstoppers.” The dialogue is simple everyday language with a few French words peppered in from Madame Dupont (Caroline Amiguet) and Storrie’s Liam. This is a drama, and sometimes it takes itself too seriously. Storrie’s character adds a few moments of levity, but Howard’s script is grounded and realistic, reminding us that each person’s Coming Out story is different."