The reviews are in for Hunter’s feature film directorial debut…and they are terrific. Here’s a sampling.

“[Hunter Lee] Hughes’ film has a universal appeal. By channeling the pain of damaged youth into a unique filmic meditation, he has created a touchstone for anyone who struggles to reconcile these psychic scars within their own life. It’s an interior landscape that can be recognized by almost anyone, of course; and by treating it with candor, acknowledging its dark beauty, and honoring its inseparability from identity, Hughes has given us a movie which illuminates the path to transcendence. “Guys Reading Poems” is unequivocally an art film, and as such unlikely to achieve widespread success at the box office; but for those of us who appreciate the bravery required not only to confront these difficult issues, but to explore them in such a public and honest manner, it is a much-appreciated effort and worthy of being sought out. It deserves to be called essential viewing.” – John Paul King, L.A. Blade

“There is never a moment in the film that looks less than gorgeous, thanks to the black-and-white cinematography.” – Jeremy Ross, Living Out Loud L.A.

“Life is a puzzle that’s not meant to be solved, just experienced. The same is true of Hunter Lee Hughes’ ingenious feature film, Guys Reading Poems – a majestic, all-embracing account of how a vulnerable young boy learns to glibly mold his childhood suffering into art, tenderness and creative literature. Astutely constructing the motion picture as a poetry-imbued testimony for the transformative power of imagination in relieving pain, the director manages to craft a gripping mindbender that compels the viewer to gasp both in terror and awe of the complex intricacies and repercussions of heartrending art.” by Alexander Ryll of Gay Essential

Catch the film at Arena Cineloung where it closes this Sunday, May 7th!

Just in time for National Poetry Month, the team at “Guys Reading Poems” is releasing Hunter’s performance of his original poem, “I Want a Lover!”

Check it out!