Synopsis

On a crowded Manhattan night, aspiring composer Gabriel and go-go dancer Mark meet and return to Gabriel's apartment, hoping for a private encounter. Their plans are repeatedly derailed by roommates, friends, ex-lovers, theater people, and other unexpected obstacles. As the night stretches into morning, frustration gives way to honesty, and what began as a casual hookup develops into a promising romantic connection.

Factoids & Trivia

• Jason Schafer originally conceived the project as a stage musical titled "Gay Boy." Actor Anthony Rapp encouraged him to rework it as a screenplay.

• The independently produced film was made on a reported budget of approximately $450,000.

• Filming was completed in less than three weeks in August 1998.

• "Trick" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 1999 before receiving a theatrical release through Fine Line Features on July 23, 1999.

• The film earned approximately $2 million at the U.S. box office, a strong result for its modestly budgeted independent production.

• The piano piece Gabriel tries to play is the opening of the third movement of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109.

• The street scene near the end was filmed close to the Christopher Street subway station in Manhattan.

• The film won a special jury prize at the 1999 Berlin International Film Festival's Teddy Awards and an Outstanding Emerging Talent award at Outfest.

• "Trick" has since developed a reputation as a cult classic of 1990s queer cinema.

• A stage musical adaptation, titled "Trick! The Musical," was presented in 2025 with a book and lyrics by Schafer and music by Arthur LaFrentz Bacon.