A TV pilot with a series in mind, Daddies Boi is currently doing the rounds of film festivals. Written by and starring Louie Rinaldi and Zoe Tyson, and directed by Jason Avezzano, the piece takes a comic yet quietly observant look at the realities of sex work and the so-called desire economy, filtered through the experiences of two friends looking to make a quick buck – though what begins as opportunism hints at something more complicated beneath.
It’s Ozzie (Rinaldi)’s birthday, and although he has passed 30, he will never let on. It’s a small but telling detail that immediately establishes both character and stakes. His big-spending daddy, Clarke (Todd Sherry), wants a boy who can pass as his son in public, but is already losing interest in the current arrangement, suggesting the precariousness of these transactional relationships. Meanwhile, Billie (Zoe Tyson) is meeting with her DD (Milan Patel), attempting to find some common ground in what is ostensibly an exchange, but one that still requires a degree of emotional negotiation.
Daddies Boi gestures towards the reality beneath dating apps and sugar daddy/baby arrangements, presenting them not simply as glamorous or taboo, but as pragmatic responses to financial pressure. It recognises that for many, this is a way of offering something intimate, performative, or even strange in exchange for staying out of debt. It’s an economy built as much on vulnerability as on desire. The humour, while present, often feels rooted in this tension, rather than played purely for laughs.
At just fifteen minutes, the pilot has the difficult task of introducing its characters, sketching out its premise, and leaving us with enough of a hook to warrant further exploration. While it occasionally feels constrained by that runtime, there are glimpses of a broader world and deeper character dynamics that suggest the concept could sustain a longer format, particularly if it leans further into the emotional contradictions it begins to uncover.
The film is also of note for including BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ characters within a space often depicted as overwhelmingly white and narrowly defined – typically populated by middle-aged white men and high-maintenance young girls. This shift in perspective doesn’t feel tokenistic; rather, it opens up the possibility for fresher, more varied storytelling within a familiar framework.
In setting up their business to pull every dime from their clients, Ozzie and Billie’s story shows clear potential to grow and evolve into something both meatier and funnier. What lingers most is not just the comedic premise but the sense that beneath the hustling lies a sharper commentary on intimacy, performance, and survival in a transactional world.
Daddies Boi screened at the Cinequest Film Festival on 21 Mar and 22 Mar.