Straight Up 2019

Todd, a twenty-something man from Los Angeles with OCD, grapples with romance because he has a strong aversion to bodily fluids. He likes the men he dates, but aside from an attempt at oral sex, he has never had penetrative sex with them. Eventually he decides to try dating women, and attempts to hook up with a girl after getting drunk with her but freaks out when her hymen breaks. His psychoanalyst wonders if this exploration of sexuality is a good idea, but Todd fears being alone and resolves to continue trying.

Rory, a struggling actress who has trouble emotionally connecting with others, crosses paths with him in the self-help section of a library. They immediately click, sharing an eccentric sense of humor, and they spend hours talking and connecting. Rory quickly moves in with Todd and joins him on his various house-sitting jobs.

Todd’s friends oppose the relationship, viewing it as a manifestation of Todd’s internalized homophobia, and they frequently undermine its validity. Rory agrees to pursue a romantic relationship with him—though sex is off the table. After Todd introduces Rory to his parents, he worries that they might like him more because he’s now dating a woman.

At an awkward Christmas party with Todd’s friends where they play truth or dare, Rory walks in on Todd in a compromising position with his gay friend and leaves. Rory becomes increasingly unhappy with her life in LA, and decides to move to Seattle. During their break-up conversation, Rory says she may want kids (they had previously agreed neither wanted children) and Todd goes into a panic attack.

Some time later Rory has an established office job in Seattle, but still has problems connecting with her coworkers. Todd refuses to date anyone since Rory left. One of Rory’s coworkers takes an interest in her, but she realizes they are too different. She calls Todd but hangs up before he can pick up. When she leaves work at the end of the day she finds Todd waiting for her. In an attempt at a grand romantic gesture, Todd proposes, but Rory declines. Todd makes an impassioned plea to her, tells her he loves her, and does not want to be with anyone else.

While Todd and Rory chat over a tile game, another man sits between them to join the conversation, with an intimacy apparently evolving among the trio.