Boy Erased - Movie Review
Boy Erased
Plot: The son of a Baptist preacher is forced to participate in a church-supported gay conversion program after being forcibly outed to his parents.
Cast: Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Joel Edgerton, Joe Alwyn, Xavier Dolan, Troye Sivan, Cherry Jones, Flea, Russell Crowe
Director: Joel Edgerton
Certificate: 15 (scene of sexual violence)
Runtime: 114 minutes
Release Date: Friday 8th February 2019
At the age of nineteen, Garrard Conley was forcibly outed as a homosexual to his religious family and placed into a gay conversion therapy centre. Since then, Garrard is now married to another man and is an incredibly successful writer after detailing his accounts within the program. His story has now been adapted into a motion picture starring Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Lucas Hedges and Joel Edgerton. And yet, despite being such an extraordinary story, the end result can't help but feel slightly muted.
Edgerton came flying out the gates as a promising director with his tense and taught thriller, The Gift, but with Boy Erased, his tone and approach has drastically changed. His versatility of knowing how to treat this subject matter with the sensitivity it deserves is more than impressive. He repeatedly chooses the reserved, quieter options rather than resorting to giant emotional outbursts. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the writing. Boy Erased is a series of incredibly powerful scenes that are intended to shock and educate about the horrors of such terrifying programs but lacks the essential connective tissue to draw as much emotion out as possible. Despite sensational performances from the entire cast, there was a distinct absence of an emotional backbone. We feel devastated for Jared's situation because of the real life connection rather than his onscreen depiction and relationship with his parents. It only ever feels that Edgerton is scratching the surface with this societal issue rather than diving into the foul world of gay conversion therapy. Some scenes in which Edgerton is harassing his "patients" into confessing their "sins" and expelling the "demons" from their bodies is harrowing to watch but there is still an underlying sense that Edgerton is holding back from being too shocking.
Plot: The son of a Baptist preacher is forced to participate in a church-supported gay conversion program after being forcibly outed to his parents.
Cast: Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Joel Edgerton, Joe Alwyn, Xavier Dolan, Troye Sivan, Cherry Jones, Flea, Russell Crowe
Director: Joel Edgerton
Certificate: 15 (scene of sexual violence)
Runtime: 114 minutes
Release Date: Friday 8th February 2019
At the age of nineteen, Garrard Conley was forcibly outed as a homosexual to his religious family and placed into a gay conversion therapy centre. Since then, Garrard is now married to another man and is an incredibly successful writer after detailing his accounts within the program. His story has now been adapted into a motion picture starring Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Lucas Hedges and Joel Edgerton. And yet, despite being such an extraordinary story, the end result can't help but feel slightly muted.
Edgerton came flying out the gates as a promising director with his tense and taught thriller, The Gift, but with Boy Erased, his tone and approach has drastically changed. His versatility of knowing how to treat this subject matter with the sensitivity it deserves is more than impressive. He repeatedly chooses the reserved, quieter options rather than resorting to giant emotional outbursts. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the writing. Boy Erased is a series of incredibly powerful scenes that are intended to shock and educate about the horrors of such terrifying programs but lacks the essential connective tissue to draw as much emotion out as possible. Despite sensational performances from the entire cast, there was a distinct absence of an emotional backbone. We feel devastated for Jared's situation because of the real life connection rather than his onscreen depiction and relationship with his parents. It only ever feels that Edgerton is scratching the surface with this societal issue rather than diving into the foul world of gay conversion therapy. Some scenes in which Edgerton is harassing his "patients" into confessing their "sins" and expelling the "demons" from their bodies is harrowing to watch but there is still an underlying sense that Edgerton is holding back from being too shocking.
However, there is also a lot to praise about Boy Erased. Most notably is the phenomenal lead performance by Lucas Hedges. After his breakout role in Manchester by the Sea and a great supporting role in Lady Bird, Hedges has now solidified himself as a talent destined for greatness. As Jared, he perfectly navigates the emotional complexity as he struggles to embrace his true self whilst fearing the repercussions from his parents and God. In one scene in particular, Hedges allows his rage, that was formerly subdued, to rise and explode and it is heartbreaking to witness. Edgerton, stepping in front of the camera as well as directing, is disgustingly malevolent as the head of the conversion program. What makes this program so sickening isn't just the treatment they provide to these perfectly healthy individuals, but the sheer unbelievability that they believe they are unquestionably correct in their methods and message. Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe are also spectacular as Jared's parents with both managing to maintain a distinct aura of humanity whilst still subjecting Jared to an atrocious attempt at therapy. Kidman is perhaps the most caring out of the two as you really see the conflict between her son and her beliefs eat away at her whilst Crowe is far more sturdy and emotionless as he believes he has a responsibility as the town's lead preacher. Other cast members such as Xavier Dolan, Troye Sivan and Joe Alwyn are also great in their respective roles even if their screen time is criminally brief.
Boy Erased, whilst incredibly powerful in moments bolstered by some truly outstanding performances, can't help but feel far too reserved to explore the horrors of programs that still exist to this day. Hedges continues to travel towards stardom and Edgerton proves himself to be a versatile director but the script simply isn't as impactful as it should have been.
Luke's Verdict: 6.5/10
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