Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet

Allen (Patricia Wants to Cuddle) unfurls a bizarre and ultimately gratifying tale of an unlikely duo who find common ground. Adam, a struggling author who’s been unable to repeat the success of his memoir about being excommunicated from the Mormon church for being gay, gets a gig as ghostwriter for Roland Rogers, 50, a movie star who plans to come out as gay in his memoir. After Adam arrives at the actor’s Malibu mansion, Roland talks to him through speakers in the smart home’s appliances and confesses that he’s recently died in a skiing accident in Utah. Roland isn’t sure how he’s able to address Adam, given the fact that he’s dead, and determines to dictate his story before his body is found on the mountain. The two grow closer through offbeat interactions, such as the waves of ecstasy felt by Roland when Adam eats something delectable, and Roland begins to fall for Adam, experiencing his first loving relationship with a man. Adam’s constant references to movie stars wears thin (he unfavorably compares his physique to Mark Wahlberg’s), but there’s surprising depth to Allen’s portrayal of Roland, who spent decades hiding his true self behind the jacked-up persona he maintained for a popular action series. For those who share Allen’s fixation on celebrity culture, there’s plenty of fun to be had. Agent: Leila Campoli, Stonesong. (Sept.)