“The Compatriots” is a Love Story in the Name of Friendship
How far would you go for your best friend? Pick them up from the airport at rush hour? Attend their improv comedy shows? Hold their hair as they throw up? Writer/director Spencer Cohen’s The Compatriots sees two friends going above and beyond for the sake of their relationship. Based on Cohen’s own friendship that goes all the way back to middle school, The Compatriots is a love story in the purest sense of the word.
Javi (Rafael Silva) and Hunter (Denis Shepherd) are teammates on the high school baseball team. We meet them in the middle of what could be a no-hitter, with Javi on the mound and Hunter behind the plate. They’re a tight-knit duo and end up winning the game for their team. At the after party, Javi kisses Hunter, who freaks out. Their years-long friendship is shattered because of one night. Five years after the fact, Hunter is lonely and listless, on the verge of the end of college, while Javi juggles work, bills, and his immigration status. After an ICE raid at his restaurant job, Javi’s and Hunter’s paths cross again. Desperate to not have his friend be deported, Hunter is willing to do anything. That includes marrying him.
Blue Harbor Entertainment
The premise for The Compatriots is exceptionally weighty now as real-life ICE raids turn more violent and deadly. While Hunter’s marriage proposal is silly, the film does not take the extremely silly route. Hunter has no idea what he’s getting into. When he offers his hand, he doesn’t realize that they can’t just immediately get divorced in a way that would let Javi stay in the United States. Another movie would find an out, a way for Hunter not to have to go through with the wedding. At the risk of spoiling it, The Compatriots sticks to its guns. In a time when people are lamenting about the male loneliness crisis, we need stories about people like Hunter and Javi who have such a deep and profound love that they don’t want to lose each other. They’re willing to step out of their comfort zones for the sake of friendship and for sticking it to ICE.
Blue Harbor Entertainment
The current presidential administration in the United States would like you to believe that immigrants are the reason for everything wrong in your life. You’re not getting the promotion because an immigrant has stolen it from you. Housing rates are high because there are so many immigrants. Your life isn’t going the way you thought it would, not through any fault of your own, but because of the easy-to-blame Other. The Compatriots is a middle-finger to ICE, racist rhetoric, and the idea that men should withhold their emotions. The film even examines why someone would rat out a teammate to ICE and the mental hoops they jump through to make themselves feel better about their actions. The Compatriots doesn’t redeem this character, but does paint a real picture of the mindset of someone who believes they have more of a right to live in America simply because they were born here.
The best version of America is one rooted in kindness and diversity. A country of people who believe this version is worth fighting for in whatever way that may be. People define being an American in a multitude of ways, but perhaps the most succinct definition is people who believe in its potential. To make America great again is to imply that the best days are behind us, but the true spirit of America lies in progress. The best innovation comes from people with different experiences sharing, listening, and respecting. The Compatriots tackles such lofty concepts with an immense amount of heart and humor. The film paints a picture of the reality of many people who don’t have legal status in the United States. Javi grew up here and it’s the only home he’s ever known, but because he wasn’t born here, he’s not considered American by the letter of the law. In his director’s statement, Cohen says that he hopes those who watch The Compatriots will fall in love with Javi and the people he represents. It’s safe to say, mission accomplished.
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