Race You to the Bottom (2005) - a Movie Review

Race You to the Bottom is a romantic drama starring Amber Benson as Maggie and Cole Williams as Nathan. Nathan is a bisexual travel writer who takes his friend Maggie on a weekend business trip to Napa Valley. Maggie and Cole each have boyfriends but they have also been having an affair for the last six months. Warning: my movie review contains plot spoilers.

I only rented the movie because I think Amber Benson is a great actress. Lesson learned: do not rent a movie just because you like the main actor. It will usually end up being very disappointing. Race You to the Bottom is a depressing story of promiscuity, cheating, and gay lifestyles.

The lead character Nathan is a self-obsessed writer who is likes to get any guy to sleep with him, even if he isn't gay. Maggie is the insecure friend who falls in love with Nathan for whatever reason. She thinks her love can turn him straight, blah, blah, blah. The plot is boring and the characters are not likeable. The only good thing about the movie is the scenery.

I found the acting very confusing. I felt like Nathan did love Maggie, especially when he was upset that she threw the gift he gave her away. If he didn't like her, he wouldn't have cared less. Plus he would have not taken the time to buy her a gift in the first place. Nathan totally gave Maggie mixed signals but he is still a jerk so I don't know why Maggie liked him in the first place. I also find it hard to believe that Nathan could have talked a seemly straight guy into letting him perform a "favor" for him in less then twenty minutes. I really should have just turned the movie off after that scene but I did stick it out for the ending. The lame boring ending.

Nathan and Maggie don't end up together, thank goodness. But their actions do have consequences and they do break up with their respective boyfriends.

The movie really isn't that good. I am trying to think of one good thing about the movie (besides the scenery) and I can't think of it. I give the movie 0 out of 5 stars.