WATCH: A young model meets a seductive photographer—will he become his muse or something more?

Forced out of his home by an unforgiving father, high school senior Tom (Yoav Keren) is lost in the world. He wants to be an actor, he wants to find happiness, he wants a purpose. But, most of all, he wants to be wanted.

From Israeli filmmaker Eyal Kantor, Like Me is a gay coming-of-age story both familiar and new, following a young man’s journey to finding himself.

So, the film’s title? It isn’t so much a comparison as it is a plea. Tom just wants someone, anyone, to like him.

Simply trying to get by until he begins his military service—a requirement for all Israeli citizens over the age of 18—Tom finds work delivering pizzas and the occasional modeling gig, wherever he can get it.

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That’s when he meets Rami (Gal Amitai), a strikingly handsome photographer who’s significantly older. Rami’s camera is obsessed with Tom—Rami might be, too—and the young model’s smart enough to turn on the charm, convincing the artist to give him more work, and even a place to crash.

But who’s exploiting who? Rami gradually grows more demanding, eventually urging Tom toward things he’s not comfortable with, like nude photography. As the lines get blurred, Tom has to learn to stand up for himself.

Meanwhile, Tom’s harboring a crush on his straight pal Gilad (Mendi Barsheshet), who is pining after a mutual friend. Though, the more time they spend together, the more Tom starts to wonder if there might be something between them.

Kantor’s film puts the two relationships in stark contrast, pushing both to their limits, with Tom our empathetic lost soul caught in between.

After playing queer international film festivals over the past year, Like Me is streamable now on digital and VOD platforms—like Apple, Google Play, and Vudu—and will be available via DVD on March 21, courtesy fo Breaking Glass Pictures.

Check out the film’s trailer below:

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