Boy Erased

Boy Erased is a biographical drama based on the memoir of Garrard Conley, written and directed by Joel Edgerton. The film follows Jared, a young man who is forced to enroll in a gay conversion therapy programme by his Christian parents. The performances in Boy Erased are excellent all round, with the strongest acting coming from Nicole Kidman, who portrays a conflicted mother with heartfelt emotion. The plot is disturbing, and it is particularly horrifying when you remember this is based on a true story and on a problem that it still affecting many homosexual people today. The film successfully brings out powerful emotions from the audience, from anger to fear to disgust, which helps to keep them engaged and tense throughout. I particularly loved the development Nicole Kidman’s character as the mother received, as she was portrayed less as a monster and more as someone feeling trapped in a corner by their role as a parent and as a believer of faith. The film also helps us to understand the history of the characters by flashing back to Jared’s time in college, when a particularly upsetting and graphic sexual assault is shown that could be triggering for certain audience members. Boy Erased manages to avoid the stereotypes associated with gay conversion therapy, which makes the film feel more realistic and prevents the characters from becoming caricatures. The other characters following the programme show the range of ways people would react to being treated so disgustingly, and the horrors of the methods used are not sugar coated or hidden from the audience. It’s almost unbelievable when you watch what goes on in these “treatments”, and the therapist’s terminology is so shocking you struggle to wrap your head around how anyone could choose to use it. Although the pace is slow, my attention didn’t waver as I had become so invested in the characters. My only flaw with the film is Russel Crowe’s character as the father: I wish we could have seen him more, as he was only shown in a few scenes, and I would have loved to watch him develop further. In conclusion, Boy Erased is not an easy watch, however its message is highly important, and the strong acting helps to bring emotion and understanding to the delicate issue.