The 24th Day (2004)

21% of critics liked it
(14 reviews)
59% of users liked it
(3,066 ratings)

A casual gay pickup turns into a nightmare in Tony Piccirillo's adaptation of his play, The 24th Day. Tom (Scott Speedman of TV's Felicity) approaches Dan (James Marsden of X-Men) in a bar, and the two hit it off. Tom brings Dan home to his apartment, where, after some idle chatter, Dan tries to… More A casual gay pickup turns into a nightmare in Tony Piccirillo's adaptation of his play, The 24th Day. Tom (Scott Speedman of TV's Felicity) approaches Dan (James Marsden of X-Men) in a bar, and the two hit it off. Tom brings Dan home to his apartment, where, after some idle chatter, Dan tries to kiss Tom. Tom shies away, and begins asking Dan about his sexual history. Dan eventually realizes that he's been in Tom's apartment before. They had an encounter several years ago, and Tom has a much clearer memory of that night than Dan does. Eventually, things turn ugly, and Dan finds himself tied to a chair. Tom extracts a blood sample, explaining to Dan that he just recently learned that he's HIV-positive. Tom insists that he's not gay, and believes that the only way he could have gotten the virus is from Dan. Tom goes out to have the blood sample tested, and when he gets back, he tells Dan that when he gets the results back, if Dan is HIV-positive, Tom is going to kill him. As they wait for the results, the hours go by, and Dan tries to engage Tom in conversation, to engage his sympathy, and to find a way to escape. As the two men talk and battle for control, Piccirillo flashes back to the recent past, and Tom's motives become more clear. The 24th Day was shown at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 37 min.
Directed By: Tony Piccirillo
Genres: Drama, Horror

In Theaters: May 14, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Aug 31, 2004
Studio: Screen Media

Critic Reviews

Robert Koehler, Variety
The movie is never more than a hesitantly filmed recording of the play.
Philip Wuntch, Dallas Morning News
At times The 24th Day plays like a two-man actor's workshop. As navigated by talented actors and director, it nonetheless proves a riveting ride.
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
What might have proved reasonably compelling onstage comes across as forced on film, with credibility taking a back seat to contrivance.
Rex Reed, New York Observer
Scott Speedman and James Marsden, two talented and attractive actors who know how to hold attention, perform with depth and range.
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
Despite strong performances, this drawn-out Day feels like a cross between the claustrophobic play it once was, and the R-rated After-School Special it wants to be.
Megan Lehmann, New York Post
Boasts one of the most ludicrous plots ever committed to digital video.
Don Willmott, Filmcritic.com
The battle of wits and the search for the truth goes along right up until the film's unpredictable ending.
David Noh, Film Journal International
The ceaseless twists and turns Piccirillo keeps introducing are at first intriguing, but eventually become tiresome, as if he's trying to hold our interest any way he can.
Frank Swietek, One Guy's Opinion
Can perhaps be commended for attempting to raise serious moral issues, but not for the ham-fisted way it does so.
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone, TheMovieChicks.com
For all its flaws, it's still pretty effective, thanks to Scott Speedman and James Marsden.
Ken Fox, TV Guide's Movie Guide
There's something deeply troubling, not to mention cruel, about Piccirillo's willingness to use AIDS as the ultimate consequence in a scenario about truth and sexual behavior, and about a scenario in which a gay man is once again targeted as patient zero.
Gabriel Shanks, Mixed Reviews
An ethically repugnant, relentlessly monotonous chamber drama that manages the difficult trick of boring and irritating its viewers simultaneously.