LOS ANGELES—When the credits roll at the end of the new NakedSword Originals project “Liquid Assets,” viewers might find themselves in a unique headspace for porn. Erotic, emotional and unsettling all at the same time, it does far more than just turn fans on. And that’s exactly what the creative team wanted.
“Honestly, this film hit pretty close to home for me,” says performer Jaxx Cody, who recently signed as a Falcon | NakedSword exclusive. “I’ve experienced similar situations in past relationships, so I was able to pull from real emotions and real conversations I’ve had in my own life. That made it easier to connect with the character on a deeper level and really give the role everything I had emotionally.”
Cody is the literal center of attention in “Liquid Assets.” Accompanied by onscreen boyfriend Heath Halo, he arrives at a secluded Spanish villa owned by Derek Kage—an enigmatic art patron who serves up an indecent proposal that threatens to exploit fragile boundaries. Like Cody, Halo mined similar territory to tap into his character.
“I channeled some personal experience around my early days in the industry when my husband and I were figuring out how it would work for us as a couple. Some conversations were deep and intense, with lots of feelings. I brought those up for this character, who is stuck in between supporting his partner and feelings of jealousy and fear,” Halo says. “This project will definitely convey feelings of apprehension and desire. It’s shot to be dark and gritty, guiltily sexy. I can’t wait for people to feel it.”
Just another day at the office for delightfully devious filmmaker Ben Rush, who has already put Kage and Halo through the wringer in multiple projects over the last year—from Wild Game to a pair of gonzo gangbangs.
“I've always been interested in stories where desire and ambition become intertwined,” says Rush, who wrote the screenplay and co-directed with Alter Sin. “What happens when an opportunity presents itself, but accepting it requires you to cross a boundary you never thought you'd cross? That question was really the starting point. From there, the characters emerged. Jaxx, Heath and Derek all want different things, but they're all searching for validation in some form. Once I understood that, the story started writing itself.”
The earliest versions were more plot-driven, but Rush says the more he worked on it, the more interested he became in the emotional fallout rather than the mechanics of the situation.
“The villa, the opportunity Derek presents—all of that became a framework for examining a relationship under pressure. Every draft pushed further toward character and emotional honesty. By the end, what interested me most wasn't what the characters did, but how they felt about what they'd done.”
“Liquid Assets”—which released this week—is also a departure for Rush and Falcon | NakedSword. While the studio group is no stranger to racking up GayVN Awards for features and all-sex extravaganzas, this project is a featurette—a storytelling form they haven’t indulged in frequently.
“I think it's always been less about ability and more about finding the right story,” Rush says. “A featurette is a unique format. It has to justify its existence creatively. If you're going to ask viewers to invest in characters and emotions, you need something worth saying. For a long time, we’ve been focused on either larger-scale features, or more traditional scene-driven projects. ‘Liquid Assets’ felt like the perfect opportunity to revisit the format because it's a story that benefits from intimacy. It's not about saving the world or solving a mystery. It's about three people making choices that have emotional consequences. A featurette gave us exactly the right amount of room to explore that.”
More than three years ago, the Falcon project Men’s Briefs—a collection of short story scenes—won Best Director (Non-Feature) for its five helmers. It was a unique (and highly successful) project, but a rarity for the studio group. Now they’re back with a vengeance. Clocking it at 42 minutes, “Liquid Assets” is a cinematic showcase that makes the most of every shot. Even when there’s no dialogue, the performers stay in character.
“That was absolutely intentional,” Rush says. “I've never viewed intimate scenes as separate from the story. They're part of the story. Before we filmed anything, we spent a lot of time discussing where each character was emotionally at every stage of the encounter. What are they hoping for? What are they afraid of? What are they pretending not to feel? Once performers understand those motivations, the smallest look or hesitation can become incredibly charged.”
Sin is well-versed in the format. Last year, his “Prisoner of War: 10 Years Later” for Men.com netted him Best Directing (Featurette) and Best Featurette statues at the GayVN Awards.
“Making a featurette is about creating a movie out of a single scene. The challenge is finding a way to include everything that makes a great story—interesting characters, emotional stakes, conflict, and a satisfying payoff—but in a much shorter amount of time. Every element has to work harder. The script needs to be extremely tight, the performances must establish the characters quickly, and every shot has to support the story,” he says. “A good featurette idea is one that can deliver a complete and satisfying story while staying focused on a specific conflict.”
Rush and Sin have been frequent co-collaborators, and by their own admission have developed a shorthand together over the years. The magic has worked, winning them a GayVN Award this year for Best Directing (Non-Feature) for Spain in the Ass. Now they creatively conquer a new format together.
“Ben and Alter are truly a powerhouse creative team,” Cody says. “They’re both incredibly visionary and talented when it comes to bringing an idea to life on screen. What I appreciated most is that they’re also very collaborative and supportive with the talent involved. They know exactly what they want creatively, but they also do an amazing job of guiding and teaching the people helping bring that vision to the screen.”
That comes as no surprise, especially following the directing duo’s debut of The Last Guest just weeks ago. The adult industry’s first-ever vertical microdrama, it featured 10 safe-for-work episodes running 30 to 70 seconds each. The project was released on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, and concluded last week. “Liquid Assets” was shot in the same stunning location in Marbella, Spain.
“The location ended up becoming a character in its own right,” Rush says. “There's something about being in a place that luxurious and isolated that amplifies every emotion. It creates an atmosphere where reality starts to feel slightly suspended, which was perfect for this story.”
Filmed around the same time, “Liquid Assets” also cast three of the same performers from The Last Guest. And it gave everyone new challenges.
“You have no wasted moments. Every scene has to accomplish several things at once. You need to establish character, create tension, advance the story, and build emotional investment very fast. The reward is that the storytelling becomes incredibly focused. There isn't room for anything that doesn't matter,” Rush says. “That intensity is really powerful when everything comes together.”
And that’s achieved through three poignant performances.
“Derek was essential because the entire story depends on understanding why people would be drawn to him. He has this natural confidence and intelligence that makes that completely believable. Heath was equally important because his role requires incredible emotional nuance. He's not simply reacting to events; he's processing them in real time,” Rush says.
“What impressed me most about Jaxx was his willingness to be vulnerable. That's not always easy, especially when you're stepping into a story-heavy project. His character is trying to navigate ambition, desire, insecurity, and opportunity all at the same time. Jaxx embraced all of those layers. There's a sincerity to his performance that makes the audience invest in him right from the start.”
Cody credits the directors and his scene mates for creating a collaborative environment that brought out the best in everyone.
“There was a real sense of teamwork throughout the entire process. Everyone was supportive, coachable, and willing to help each other, both in front of the camera and behind it,” he says. “My co-stars are honestly some of the most genuine, kind and caring people I’ve ever met…I’m genuinely grateful to call them my friends. Working on a featurette is such a unique and rewarding experience because it requires so much more emotional depth, acting, and personal creativity to bring everything together. That’s honestly what I enjoy most about it, being able to fully step into a character and help bring the vision to life.”
Kage concurs, adding that Rush gave him plenty of inspiration and references for the role.
“Once we went over the script and fine-tuned my deliveries, we pretty much had down what I needed to do,” Kage says. “I added my own twist on it based on personal experiences. I’m no stranger to rich people using their power and influence to get what they want out of me.”
Playing a rich man using his money to prey on someone’s desires, Kage notes how timely the allegory within Rush’s story is—giving the project another layer.
“It’s very apparent in our society today, where those at the top are using the same power, influence and wealth to change the rules in their favor regardless of the people they hurt or destroy in the process. My character gets to move on with his life not caring about the damage he’s done to Jaxx and Heath. It’s honestly an evil thing I had to portray. I prepared myself to have no empathy, no care for their well-being or happiness, and no qualms about destroying their romance for my own pleasure. Even when Jaxx and I are playing chess, I made very aggressive and careless moves compared to his defensive and careful moves—just because I could. He didn’t want to risk a costly mistake. There is much more to Ben’s story and this featurette than just a sex scene. It’s a brutal display of power against vulnerability.”
And the ending hits hard.
“Sadness often comes from truth. The ending isn't really about whether anyone made the right or wrong choice. It's about realizing that some experiences change you—and once they happen, you can't entirely return to who you were before. We weren't interested in a neat resolution. We were interested in that complicated feeling of understanding something new about yourself and not being entirely sure what to do with that knowledge,” Rush says.
“One of the things ‘Liquid Assets’ reinforced for me is that audiences enjoy stories that leave a little room to think and feel. The format allows us to experiment with romance, suspense, drama, even comedy, without the scale of a full feature. There are a lot of performers who are capable of far more than people realize, and featurettes give them a chance to showcase those talents. I think we've only started to explore what's possible.”
Photography courtesy of NakedSword Originals
