On the Downlow is the first film directed by Tadeo Garcia, released in 2004. It is a low-budget film starring Michael Cortez and Tony Sancho.
It proved very popular with the film critics and the public, and was released on DVD on January 9, 2007.
Synopsis.
"On the Downlow" is a love story set in Little Village, Chicago, between Angel (Michael Cortez) and Isaac (Tony Sancho), two warm, supportive and sensitive young men. Their affection to each other is shown through a long kiss in a dark alley in Chicago and, later on, in a musical sequence in the film. Isaac also questions his sexuality in a long confession with a priest in the church.
Angel, in order to be with his secret lover Isaac, gives up his allegiance to his former Latin Kings gang and pledges to Isaac's Southside Chicago's Two Six gang led by Reaper (Donato Cruz) after a cruel initiation beating. Although the film uses the names of actual gangs in the area, the introduction to the film says there is no direct relationship to the actual gang names used.
When Reaper is later informed that Angel is an ex-gang member of the rival Latin Kings gang, he decides that Isaac should kill him. Issac desperately tries to arrange for him and Angel to escape Chicago but the inevitable happens and the gang captures Angel. When Isaac refuses to execute Angel, Reaper does it. Isaac then kills Reaper and commits suicide.