By: Daniel P’Lopez
Photos by: Anne-Marie Halovanic | @annemariehalo
Dekko.com
Michael Doshier, writer and director of the gay indie film Throuple, has always aspired to be a pop star like Britney, Beyoncé, and Janet. These artists opened his eyes, making him see that there was more to life than life in Arkansas, where he was born and raised in a small suburb of Little Rock called Conway.
Michael was heavily inspired by these artists and their work, but ultimately found his niche as a writer, and it all eventually came together that way for him. Growing up as any other southern Baptist Church kid would, Michael was not particularly brought up in the artistic world; he found his own way in the church choir.
He loved pop music, was in the drama club, and would do performances for his family and friends. Michael admits he was a stereotypical gay boy with artistic endeavors, but it was also a difficult place for him to grow up queer in a red state. He had taken a film class in high school, but it was when he went to college in New York, where he studied screenwriting, that he developed the skills to write his latest movie, Throuple.
Throuple, a romantic comedy, is about an open three-some couple. When a gay singer/songwriter in New York is out one night at a concert, he meets a gay married couple who have just recently opened their relationship and are looking for a third. It starts as a one-night stand, but eventually blossoms into something more complex and nuanced, making them reevaluate their lives and their relationship.
Michael plays himself, and many of the cast are Michael’s real-life friends. To complicate things more, his character is also in another throuple relationship, with his best friend Tristan and a girlfriend named Abby. “He’s third-wheeling over there, so it’s kind of like navigating these two setups where he’s the third wheel, and there’s a lot of messiness that can come with that,” says Michael.
Michael wrote this movie through real-life experiences, an indie film with limited resources. Michael looked around his life, what was interesting and could be dramatized into a movie. Gathering many of his friends, Throuple was born.
Michael was also third wheeling in real life, and was in a throuple relationship with his friends. Like many gay men, he met on Hinge and Grindr sites, realizing most men were in open relationships, so it was easy to gather the info and experience he needed to write this film. It took about five years from the start of the idea to finish and premiere, a process that was prolonged by the COVID-19 pandemic, which also led to a detour.
Michael raised money for the film online, and he also had several partnerships, like NYU Production Lab, being one of the producers. After a festival run in 2024, Throuple opened at the Boston Wicked Queer Festival, followed by a New York Premiere at the Quad Cinema and a Los Angeles premiere.
Throuple is available to rent on Dekkoo and can be purchased online through Amazon and Google Play.
“Throuple is alive with an Indie underground spirit, and I really think you can feel the heart of that, it’s pulsing through the movie in every frame.” Said Michael about his film.
Michael’s next project is about an unconventional queer relationship; Michael hopes to develop this into a feature-length film and is currently shooting this short film in Missouri.
Michael likes to spend his free time making music and has a band called Darlin the Band. He enjoys spending time with his cat, Eminem, and also loves to run, go to the movies, Attend Church, and is part of a writers’ group.
You can get more information about the movie at @throuplethemovie, and you can follow Michael @MichaelDoshier