On the Downlow

Plot Summary

In this artful and thought-provoking film, highly regarded experimental filmmaker Abigail Child follows four young African American men in urban Cleveland, Ohio, who all live life “on the downlow” (the DL). Uncomfortable with being termed gay, as it doesn'’t correspond with their concept of Black masculinity, the men in this film straddle two seemingly incompatible worlds. Billy claims that the best sex of his life was with the mother of his two children, but he lives with a man. A self-described thug, Ray prefers drag queens. Kerwin desires not only a beautiful woman on his arm, but a man as well. And Antonio, an ex-con who picked up the DL lifestyle while incarcerated, is dating George, whose teenage girlfriend doesn’'t know that George, too, is on the DL. Together, these men’s stories offer a rare window into both the allure and struggle of the DL lifestyle. Interweaving their narratives through candid interviews and intimate cinematography by Arthur Jafa (Crooklyn, Daughters of the Dust), On the Downlow offers a penetrating glimpse into a split existence: one life lies on the surface, and another is hidden below.