Boy Erased

Name: Boy Erased
Genre: Biography, Drama
Released: November 2, 2018
Duration: 115 min
Rating: 69
Cast: Britton Sear, Cherry Jones, David Ditmore, David Joseph Craig, Devin Michael

2018

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 48 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 108 Ratings

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7.2

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7.2	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 108 Ratings

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Boy Erased

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Movie Details & Credits

Focus Features | Release Date: November 2, 2018 | R

Starring: Britton Sear, Cherry Jones, David Ditmore, David Joseph Craig, Devin Michael, Emily Hinkler, Flea, Jesse LaTourette, Joe Alwyn, Joel Edgerton, Lucas Hedges, Madelyn Cline, Matt Burke, Nicole Kidman, Randall P. Havens, Russell Crowe, Troye Sivan, Victor McCay, Xavier Dolan

Summary: Jared (Lucas Hedges), the son of a Baptist pastor in a small American town, is outed to his parents (Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe) at age 19. Jared is faced with an ultimatum: attend a gay conversion therapy program – or be permanently exiled and shunned by his family, friends, and faith.

Director: Joel Edgerton

Genre(s): Biography, Drama

Rating: R

Runtime: 115 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Rex Reed

Nov 5, 2018

The details in every scene and the polish and precision of a perfect cast make Boy Erased one of the finest and most unforgettable films of the year. Read full review

Mike Scott

Nov 14, 2018

Lucas Hedges is terrific in the lead role of a sneaky movie that, rather than preaching and shouting, becomes something uplifting, something hopeful, something moving and something important. Read full review

IndieWire David Ehrlich

Sep 1, 2018

While Edgerton’s fractured approach has a frustrating way of compartmentalizing his characters into their own subplots, making it hard for the movie to convey the full sweep of its emotional journey, Boy Erased regards everyone with such raw empathy that even its most difficult moments are fraught with the possibility of forgiveness. Read full review

Karen Gordon

Nov 10, 2018

Boy Erased isn’t the powerhouse that it could have been. But the movie has heart and soul. And, given that Gay Conversion Therapy centers still exist, the story at the core of the film is an important one. Read full review

Peter Travers

Oct 31, 2018

The reason that Boy Erased hits you like a shot in the heart can be found in Jared’s relationship with his parents. Kidman brings stirring compassion and a growing strength to a woman who learns about herself the more she learns about her son. And Crowe is magnificent as a believer who can’t quite storm the barricades his faith erects around a true reconciliation with his son. Read full review

Mark Jenkins

Nov 6, 2018

Boy Erased is a showcase for Hedges, who played a closeted boy in “Lady Bird” and who plays a teen with a different sort of burden in the upcoming drama “Ben Is Back.” In each of those roles, the boy-next-door actor finds just the right combination of ordinary and anomalous. Read full review

The Guardian Benjamin Lee

Sep 13, 2018

It’s a curiously underwhelming, muted, often plodding two hours that fails to reach the emotional highs and devastating lows one would expect from the material. Read full review

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User Reviews

united001

Nov 10, 2018

I attended this movie showing with a good friend who is gay but had not read the book upon which the movie is based and only had vague awareness of anything specific but the general theme of gay conversion therapy. By halfway through the movie, he had to leave the theater for a short periodI attended this movie showing with a good friend who is gay but had not read the book upon which the movie is based and only had vague awareness of anything specific but the general theme of gay conversion therapy. By halfway through the movie, he had to leave the theater for a short period of time because the movie upset him. Turns out although he was never in formal gay conversion therapy he told me that the religiosity of the movie was accurate so much that it was like watching a bit of a nightmare of his own experiences in religious circles as well as with his own father. At the end of the movie, he stated that he was very glad to have seen the movie, but like a PTSD survivor, he said that he would never watch the movie again. He did comment that he would consider sending a copy of the movie upon its release in that manner to his father who in many ways resembled Jared's father. I found the movie slow in places and it does jump back and forth through time, but that is how the book was written by Mr. Conley. I have not seen the other gay conversion movie recently released. This movie takes seriously what "But I'm A Cheerleader" made fun of and was entirely useless to point out the extreme emotional damage done by such practices that still go on today and are not labeled as crimes of child abuse, which is what gay conversion attempts really are. The acting was off the charts good. Lucas Hedges perfection. Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe spectacular. Joel Edgerton was spectacular. The score is superb, Troye Sivan very good in his minor role, but his singing as always perfect for the occasion. In my opinion, Boy Erased took a good book that was somewhat muted in emotion until the very end and used it to create an extremely powerful screenplay that is both appropriately emotional as well as instructive in a way the movies sometimes need to be when such ignorance such as gay conversion therapy needs a voice to point out what society still allows that is still so wrong on so many levels.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

alejandro970

Mar 24, 2019

A deep reflexion about how accept the homosexuality of a son, with tolerance, mixed with the controversy of therapy conversion. Real-life drama supported by strong cast.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Compi24

Dec 4, 2018

Actor-turned-actor/director Joel Edgerton follows up his 2015 chiller "The Gift" with a film that holds a surprising candle to it in terms of shock value. But what makes "Boy Erased" more sobering, important, and -- ultimately -- better than its predecessor, is the unshakably sobering truthActor-turned-actor/director Joel Edgerton follows up his 2015 chiller "The Gift" with a film that holds a surprising candle to it in terms of shock value. But what makes "Boy Erased" more sobering, important, and -- ultimately -- better than its predecessor, is the unshakably sobering truth behind the events depicted in the film. Edgerton's adaptation of the eponymous memoir is, simply put, one of the most impactful, moving, and significant cinematic experiences of the year for me. It's not the easiest watch, strictly speaking, but I'm glad I did see it.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

moviemitch96

Nov 17, 2018

Joel Edgerton wrote, starred in, and directed this film about a young man who finds himself coming out as gay to his parents following a traumatic experience with another man at college. He is subsequently sent to a gay conversion therapy center run by a highly religious therapist who isJoel Edgerton wrote, starred in, and directed this film about a young man who finds himself coming out as gay to his parents following a traumatic experience with another man at college. He is subsequently sent to a gay conversion therapy center run by a highly religious therapist who is much more harsh and judgmental than he initially appears. This is such important and tender subject matter that I was hoping the film wouldn't have shyed away from as much in favor of focusing more on melodramatic moments, but there are still a couple of scenes that really left a big impact and showcased the difficulties and oppressions those in the LGBT community face all the time sadly. The acting is also the film's biggest highlight, with Lucas Hedges giving a tender and at times highly moving lead performance, as well as some great supporting performances from Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe as his parents. Edgerton's turn as the intimidating religious head therapist of the conversion center also leaves a strong and lasting impact during several scenes. Overall, it's themes and subject matter are played out relatively safe often times unfortunately, but it's the committed cast and their great scenes and performances alongside each other that really makes the film.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

DogeGamer2015

Jul 26, 2021

Es una muy buena película; la trama es excelente y las actuaciones son sublimes; Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman y Russell Crowe son grandiosos.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

CityOfGeek

Feb 10, 2020

Gay conversion therapy is abuse. No dancing around it. It’s awful, demeaning, dangerous and should be outlawed. This true-story drama concerns a young college student sent to gay conversion therapy after he’s outed by another gay college student who raped him. As he is the son of a BaptistGay conversion therapy is abuse. No dancing around it. It’s awful, demeaning, dangerous and should be outlawed. This true-story drama concerns a young college student sent to gay conversion therapy after he’s outed by another gay college student who raped him. As he is the son of a Baptist preacher, this news doesn’t come home well and the boy and his mother go for two weeks. We see how awful these places are – diminishing the self-confidence of young people, telling them they are worthless and beating them with cherry-picked Bible verses. It’s heartbreaking how much hate is thrown at them. Edgerton, who previously directed the disturbing in a different way The Gift, gets the message across without being too “preachy” at those opposed to homosexuality, trying to give a reasons why and their battle against themselves (especially in Crowe). I will say, Hedges keeps getting nominations, but I don’t see it. I find him an uncharasmatic block of wood actor, starring out with a clinched jaw and little emotion until he gets to yell in everything. He reminds me of Jesse Eisenberg minus the Jeff Goldbumness.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

LamontRaymond

Dec 1, 2018

I have to agree with the Guardian critic here. It's a plodding picture, and there's just not a lot of character development going on at all. Highly disappointing.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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