Melissa Skirboll’s short $13 is a bite-sized emotional gut punch – a seemingly innocuous character piece at first that takes a shocking turn, taking viewers on an unexpected journey within its short narrative.

2 women take a stroll alongside the Hudson River in New York City. The older of the pair (Skirboll) reminisces about frustrations with her former boss Bernie. The younger of the pair (Meghan Martin) can relate – having her own frustrations with her lot. But as the story develops, we realise that the location is of utmost relevance – the presence of One World Trade Centre suddenly looming large. The younger woman realises that the story she is being told is not a typical one, and the trauma of 9/11 is felt by both parties.

The twist at the heart of $13 will be most people’s lasting memory. And while the sudden revelation of the story’s true nature will shock, it is impressive that Melissa Skirboll makes it work. Delivered with a less capable hand, it may have come across as trite or inauthentic. However, Skriboll is careful not to over-egg the introduction of a historic tragedy in her short film’s narrative. Landing with an initial, earth-quaking shock, the moment is given chance to breath and dissolve into the film in a manner that feels genuine. This is accomplished through the musical cues, the use of silence and the impressive performances of Skirbol herself and Meghan Martin.

The film is shot beautifully, making full use of the New York skyline at sunset. The setting is obviously plot-relevant, but the ambience created is also critical for the story’s success. Taking place at sunset feels like no coincidence, as Skirboll’s character yearns to come to terms with a pivotal moment in her life even 25 years on. The contrast with the unforgettable images of 9/11, which took place in the daytime, to the film’s evening glow gives a quiet appreciation of time passed.

There are some moments where the dialogue becomes a little clunky. It feels a little forced at first for the character of Bernie to be introduced, and there are a few other instances of exposition that grate. But once the film finds its momentum, the writing is impeccable. Once Skirboll’s character recounts the people she knew who worked in the towers, audiences will be silently gripped and moved. The women’s bond also convinces, and the chemistry between Skirboll and Martin flourishes with defined dialogue that successfully creates the idea of an age-gap friendship.

$13 accomplishes so much with just a conversation. It is destined to move audiences, not just thanks to its shocking twist, but because of fantastic dialogue and performances that make for an engrossing rollercoaster of a film.

Picture this: You’re scrolling TikTok when a video grabs your attention — it’s a packed dance floor at an L.A. venue, lights low and moody with people vibing together as clips from “Heated Rivalry,” the hit queer hockey romance, flicker across the walls. The crowd sings along to pulse-thumping anthems from Britney Spears, Charli XCX and Bad Bunny, with a Paramore sing-along thrown in for everyone’s inner emo babe. Cheers erupt whenever favorite moments with the show’s central couple, Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander — played by Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, respectively — come to life around them.

A TikTok offering a glimpse of this gathering, posted by Raven Yamamoto at a Heated Rivalry Night at the Vermont Hollywood, reads: “Never kill yourself. Just go to Heated Rivalry Night.”

The sentiment is tongue-in-cheek, but the feeling behind it is not. The dance party held at the Vermont and organized by Club 90s, channels the sensuous vacation-from-reality energy adored by fans of the TV show, and the book series it’s based on, that premiered in November and became a breakout hit for HBO Max. The show, acquired from the Canadian streamer Crave, has already been renewed for a second season and made stars out of its two leads, whose steamy onscreen romance has given rise to a new fandom and sprung a series of events that reflect its culture.

Heated Rivalry Night, curated by Club 90s founder and DJ Jeffrey Lyman, began as a single event that quickly sold out, leading to extra dates — another is being held at the Vermont on Sunday — and more than 100 multi-city pop-ups are planned over the next few months in places like Brooklyn, Washington, D.C., Chicago and London. Social media, particularly TikTok, has amplified the events, turning clips from the dance floor into viral, word-of-mouth-fueled promotion. The events almost didn’t happen: After a supporter emailed requesting a themed night, Lyman hadn’t considered it before because the show’s soundtrack has limited danceable music. But between his love for the series and an “I’ll figure it out” mindset, he dove in.

“Me and my co-video creator were just working nonstop all week long figuring out how to make the night work. We found all these edits on TikTok and trimmed them into full-on music videos for the night, and then put together the show in four days. I had no idea what to expect. The response was just insane,” Lyman recalls. “Every single post I saw on TikTok was from the night, with hundreds of thousands of views and comments. I was like, all right, we gotta get this thing going because everyone was requesting us in every single city.”

The event has become a space for fans to gather and feel understood, surrounded by others who are drawn to the show’s tenderness, longing, steamy sex and emotional intensity that define it. For many, the universe also sparks a quiet, personal question: Is that sort of romance real — and could it exist in my own life too?

“Nights like these make life worth living. I had so much fun, more fun than I’ve had at a club in a long time,” says Yamamoto, whose entire friend group was “obsessed” with “Heated Rivalry” from the start. “I think it’s really easy to feel alone in a room with hundreds of people, even at events where you have something in common with everyone there.”

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But Heated Rivalry Night, he says, is different, noting the warmth and mutual comfort among the crowd members in attendance. “I mean, you could have shown up alone and left with 10 new friends,” Yamamoto adds.

That sense of community is exactly what Lyman hoped to create, where people of all ages, genders and sexual preferences can come together to celebrate the themes of the show.

“I think it resonates so much because the show is just beautiful, everything about it,” he says. “That’s been my ultimate goal with every party — one big accepting space where everyone can let their freak flag fly and be whoever they want, with no judgment.”

Music is another key element of that celebration.

“I want everyone to have their culture represented. I’m Latino myself, I love Bad Bunny — of course I had to throw him in. This is kind of a no-holds barred thing, I’m throwing in every genre,” Lyman says, highlighting how the eclectic music selection mirrors the crowd’s range of tastes. A typical night can seamlessly bounce from CupcakKe to Robyn, Chappell Roan to Beyoncé and Lady Gaga’s aughts banger “Telephone,” and also “Rivalry,” the show’s theme song by Peter Peter.

“I think it resonates so much because the show is just beautiful, everything about it,” says Heated Rivalry Night organizer Jeffrey Lyman. “That’s been my ultimate goal with every party — one big accepting space where everyone can let their freak flag fly and be whoever they want, with no judgment.”

(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)

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Some moments hit even deeper emotionally. One of the standout sequences of a Heated Rivalry Night is when Lyman played a video montage of Shane coming out to his parents, set to Lorde’s “Supercut.”

“The first time I played it, I had, like, this emotional breakdown almost and I was in tears because everyone was cheering him on,” recalls Lyman, explaining that he didn’t personally get to come out to his family and the initial response was not positive or affirming. “And so flash forward so many years later, to have people literally screaming and cheering for this scene for him coming out — it blew my mind. And it just made me so happy for how far we’ve progressed in terms of acceptance.”

How the show has created a community

Ask a viewer on their umpteenth rewatch of “Heated Rivalry,” or a fan in the comments of a meticulous scene breakdown on TikTok, or a Hollanov enthusiast decked in cheeky merch, and the answer is consistently clear: The “Heated Rivalry” universe is a world that feels good to inhabit and revisit. In Los Angeles, the interest in the show has inspired other events as well, like “Heated Rivalry”-themed hot yoga and comedy shows, and fan-made merch, ranging from cozy blankets to graphic tees to custom hockey jerseys, has become ubiquitous.

Jose Bizuet, an educator in training, is still relatively new to the series — he’s four episodes into “Heated Rivalry” — but loves it so far. Waiting in line to enter the Vermont, Bizuet explained his motivation for attending the event.

Fans have created “Heated Rivalry” merch, and several events themed to the TV show have emerged in L.A. and beyond.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

“I feel like a lot of spaces aren’t accepting of queer bodies, but I know that this space will be accepting of it,” he says. “I’m just excited to have fun, be with my friends, explore different bodies, and just have fun with everybody.”

Inside, pop hits and 2000s classics played alongside clips of Ilya and Shane, as well as fan edits — like a montage of the character Scott Hunter (played by François Arnaud) set to Usher’s “Daddy’s Home” and the infamous IYKYK Google Drive edit set to Megan Thee Stallion’s “Big Ole Freak.” The latter, a fan-made video of Ilya and Shane, was originally shared widely on Google Drive before becoming difficult to find in full, making it a treasured “if you know, you know” gem among the fandom — and the kind of moment that had the crowd cheering in recognition.

Rachel Jackson and Nicole Chamberlain have loved hockey — and a good romance story — for years; they’re fans of the Nashville Predators and Chicago Blackhawks, respectively. “This series was right up our alley. We fell in love with it and read a bunch of the books,” says Jackson as she waited in line to enter the Vermont.

Chamberlain adds: “It’s cool to be part of something, and it’s just lovely to see the community rally around this story.”

Partygoers wearing Rozanov and Hollander hockey jerseys at Heated Rivalry Night. Organizer Jeffrey Lyman says he’s been surprised by the response to the themed dance party.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

In a post-quarantine landscape marked by isolation and digital overload, fans described a hunger for physical spaces where online connection could translate into real-world presence. Queer nightlife has long functioned as both refuge and community, and Heated Rivalry Night slots neatly into that lineage.

“I think it’s really special that ‘Heated Rivalry’ has become so popular in the U.S. under an administration that relentlessly attacks the rights and livelihoods of queer people,” says Yamamoto. “Celebrating a show about queer love with so many other queer people and allies who understand that felt like a protest in some ways.”

Assessing ‘Heated Rivalry’s’ effect and influence

Rachel Reid, the author of the Game Changers book series that the show is based on, has been struck by the scale and intensity of the fandom that’s grown around “Heated Rivalry.” From watch parties at a resort in the Philippines to drag shows, themed skate nights, and lively gatherings at West Hollywood’s gay sports bar Hi Tops, she’s seen fans across the globe bring the story to life in ways both big and intimate.

“I wish I could get to them all. I’m so proud to be a part of something that’s making people so happy and is also creating community and creating safe places for people to go,” Reid says. “It’s a really good feeling. It’s been my favorite part of all of this.”

She says people have told her the show has helped them try to find romance again. “Quite a few people have reached out to tell me they’d given up on relationships, and watching ‘Heated Rivalry’ made them want to try again, to believe in falling in love. That’s been incredible to hear.”

The tender queer romance depicted in “Heated Rivalry” has been refreshing for viewers. From left, François Arnaud, Robbie G.K., Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams in scenes from the show. (Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max)

The prioritization of queer joy and queer pleasure are foundational to the show, which is present even during emotional highs and lows, and that’s intentional. The trauma, harrowing ordeals or deaths that are typically depicted onscreen, and that audiences have come to expect from queer TV and films, were refreshingly absent.

“That’s extremely important to me, and I knew it was important to Jacob Tierney as well, who made the show,” says Reid. When the two brainstormed the creative direction, Reid says they were on the same page. “It would just be joyful. And it would be sexy in a way that nobody got punished for it. It was really important to me and really important to him, and I think it came through in the show for sure.”

Jacob Tierney, who adapted, wrote and directed the series for television, echoed this perspective. “Rachel’s book is unapologetically queer joy, and from the very first read, I knew I wanted to bring this shamelessly funny, glorious, romantic story to life, complete with the kind of happy ending that gay people so rarely see in the media,” he says.

He told Reid he wanted to honor the book with the seriousness it deserves.

“At a time when queer lives and love are still so often framed through pain or erasure, I felt it was important to tell a story that celebrates pleasure, tenderness, and happiness as something worth protecting,” Tierney adds. “Watching the series bring people together and spark meaningful conversations about how these stories are told has been profoundly moving.”

“Watching the series bring people together and spark meaningful conversations about how these stories are told has been profoundly moving,” says Jacob Tierney, who adapted “Heated Rivalry” for television.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

As the night wound down in Hollywood, partygoers lingered, sweaty and smiling, voices raspy from singing with friends and strangers who felt like friends.

Outside, the crowd spilled onto the sidewalk, already talking about the next Heated Rivalry Night. For a few hours, the story had leapt off the screen into something tangible — proof that the right song, room and people can make all the difference.

“Heated Rivalry” cannot fix all of the world’s ills, of course, but its influence is evident in Los Angeles and beyond. “It gave us a reason to dance. We haven’t had a lot of those in the past year,” Yamamoto says.

“Joy is resistance, too.”

We all have that one friend. You know the one. He or she talks a big game, but their game can’t back up their mouth. Sometimes that can drive you nuts, but darn it, they’re still so lovable you decide to overlook their quirks. Besides, your buddy isn’t trying to fool anyone. They actually believe it. That, in a nutshell, is Calvin Marshall.

“Calvin Marshall” is a Rudy-esque tale of a junior college kid who is a legend among his friends as a baseball star. But the reality is that his friends are beer league softball guys and little leaguers. When we meet him, he’s getting ready to try out for his juco baseball team for the third year in a row. Coach Little, a hard-drinking, temperamental guy who flamed out in the minor leagues due to injury, is conflicted when it comes to Marshall. He primarily sees him as a running joke for the team, almost a mascot, but he can’t help but admire the kid’s passion, determination, and persistence. When not on the field, Marshall is heading up the campus sports news channel and finds himself covering the women’s volleyball team. When a new transfer, Tori Jensen, arrives and dominates the v-ball scene, he’s smitten. Somehow, his persistence and determination pay off with the way-out-of-his-league outside hitter. Will he get the girl? Will he leave his mark on the baseball team?

First Pitch: The opening scene shows Calvin Marshall, played by Alex Frost, instructing some little leaguers. He’s in full uniform and talks the talk. At this point, you have every reason to believe he’s a really good baseball player for some college or minor league team. He’s even signing autographs. Then, it cuts to him putting in some intense workouts at the crack of dawn. This guy is clearly a gamer. But when tryouts for the junior college team start, it’s evident almost immediately that he not only lacks talent, but he’s been through this so many times that the coaches are just rolling their eyes.

Mid Innings: Coach Little can’t bring himself to cut Calvin, though he’s never going to play him. He ends up on the team practically as a mascot. He’s clueless about this, though. When a new volleyball transfer comes in who seems way too talented to be at their junior college, Calvin befriends her and eventually starts a tentative romance. Things start to unravel, though, as she realizes he’s not really honest about his role on the team, and everyone, including Coach Little, has to do a little self-examination.

The Final Out: The ending to Calvin Marshall is not what you’d expect, but it has an element of, “Wait, what? That’s it?” to it. The ending of the film might be a bit lackluster, but I like that it’s not the typical, predictable Hollywood ending.

“Calvin Marshall” is a bit of a unicorn in that it has almost no baseball action in it, but it still feels like a baseball movie. The baseball talk is on point. Calvin is portrayed as a guy who knows the game inside out, and it’s believable. There’s some pretty good volleyball action in there as well, for what it’s worth. The actors all look like they can legitimately play the sports, especially Michelle Lombardo, who plays Tori Jensen. Turns out she was the captain of her high school volleyball team before becoming a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model. Who knew? The ending of the film might be a bit lackluster, but I like that it’s not the typical, predictable Hollywood ending.

For what I assume was a lower-budget movie, the writing, acting, and look of this movie are all pretty legit. Alex Frost, who plays Marshall, makes me think of a young John Cusack. He’s disarming and likable to a point where you really want him to catch a break. Coach Little is played by none other than the pride of Marshall, Minnesota, Steve Zahn, and he’s perfect for the part. He’s fiesty and funny in that twitchy small-dog sort of way that is his trademark. Lombardo is fine, and the rest of the cast all play their roles well. 

I’ll admit. When I clicked play on this movie, I was not expecting much. What I got was a really fun, hour-and-a-half-long baseball flick. In fact, I think I’ve watched it three times in the past year. “Calvin Marshall” may not have the gravitas of “Moneyball” or “Field of Dreams,” but the characters make you care about them, and it’s an enjoyable ride. If you’re reading my blog, hoping to find some hidden baseball movie gems that you’ve never heard of, this is one of them. 

Run Time: 1 hr 33 min
IMDB Score: 5.8/10
Scorecard: Sneaky hustle double
Best line:  “Marshall! You couldn’t hit a bull in the a## with a shovel!” – Coach Little

Player of the Game: While I love Zahn, and he’s great in this role, it’s a pretty typical role for him. Alex Frost, whom I’ve never seen before, is excellent as Calvin. A character that could easily be annoying is actually pretty lovable. You want to root for him. 

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