By Robert Yaniz Jr.

DAY 27 OF THE 2018 HOLIDAY BINGE

A young man discovers the horrors of gay conversion therapy in the latest from Joel Edgerton.

THE HYPE

If you’re a fan of Hitchcockian cinema and haven’t seen The Gift (one of my favorite films of 2015),  you’re missing out on a well-crafted, haunting suspense tale. You’re also missing out on the fact that actor Joel Edgerton is becoming a damn fine filmmaker right under your noses. His second directorial feature (which he also wrote) is Boy Erased, based on the 2016 memoirs of Garrard Conley. While the names may be changed, the film recounts Conley’s story in excruciating detail.

THE STORY

The story follows Conley cipher Jared Eamons (Lucas Hedges), who is outed as a gay man and agrees to participate in a gay conversion therapy program at the behest of his conservative religious parents (Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe). Once there, he discovers the questionable practices put forth by Victor Sykes (Edgerton) and his staff. In many respects, this story isn’t dissimilar from this year’s The Miseducation of Cameron Post, as both offer their own distinctive takes on the same premise.

THE CAST

To no one’s surprise, Oscar-nominated actor Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea) taps into the elemental terror that inflicted in conversion therapy. The manipulation invoked and the way in which religion is weaponized to inflict emotional abuse is indeed horrific, and Hedges captures both his character’s increasing resolve and, in flashbacks, the mad scramble of sexual self-discovery. Edgerton and Kidman are terrific as well, with the latter gifted with some of the most empathetic moments in the film.

THE PRODUCTION

Edgerton’s direction imbues Boy Erased with a sense of intimacy befitting a story about a young man having to fight to be who he is. Although the screenplay ultimately feels like a very standard version of this story, the performances in Boy Erased boost the emotional resonance of Jared’s journey, culminating in a bit of character-based drama and a coda that sadly pinpoints exactly why Conley’s story remains so relevant today. With such a noble cause behind the production, it’s hard to find fault with how Boy Erased is executed.

THE VERDICT

In the end, some viewers may find Boy Erased to be “preachy” with its values and the less-than-ideal way that the religious community is portrayed in the film. Still, the human rights issue at hand in Boy Erased speaks for itself. Politics aside, the film looks to shed light on a practice that still continues to this day and does so by anchoring it all in a real-life story. In Jared’s case,  the love behind parent and child is put to the ultimate test. Boy Erased isn’t the year’s most consistently solid gay coming-of-age film, but it’s effective enough to work.

Boy Erased stars Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Joel Edgerton, Joe Alwyn, Xavier Dolan, Troye Sivan, Cherry Jones and Flea and is directed by Joel Edgerton.