Boy Erased Inspires the LGBT Community *Spoiler Alert*

Collective reviews by Tsion Cummings, Dynasty Thomas and Aneara Burns.

Photo from toofab.com

DEC. 14, 2018: Boy Erased is a movie based on a true story that exposes the covert operations of gay conversion therapy. It’s about a gay teen named Jared who struggles with his homosexuality and his experiences with conversion therapy, which is a brutal attempt to change someone's sexuality. In his journey, we see the protagonist’s interactions with other males, how he comes out to his family, and how he reacts to conversion therapy.

I believe this film explicitly details the viewpoint of someone in Jared’s shoes. It helped me conceptualize the reality of conversion therapy victims and how our journeys compare as gay teenagers. I also loved how the scenes in the movie weren’t in chronological order. It starts with Jared entering his first day of conversion therapy and brings up the past when relevant. This organization of the plot drew me in more and made it more enjoyable. The most important aspect of this movie is how it documents the effects of gay conversion therapy on people in the LGBT community. We see that is has dampening psychological impacts on people that can lead to suicide.

At first, I thought the film was average. However, with time, I began to love the film and what it stands for. Boy Erased is a very powerful film and can start a conversation that we need to have about conversion therapy.

-Tsion Cummings is a junior in Friendship Collegiate Academy

Personally, Boy Erased fits into the “should have stayed a book” genre of movies. I don’t have many things that I found remarkable. The script wasn't completely banal, aside from the minor cliches toward the end. The cinematographer did a good job of adequately capturing the ambiance of the movie. And the acting was slightly above average. Aside from a few scenes that were engaging, the film felt like I already saw this movie and could precisely predict what would happen next. Overall, it was a decent movie with a slightly forgettable plot. Every story should be told, but not every story should be made into a movie. This is especially true for two-hour flicks that depend on alluring and thought-provoking scenes.

 Dynasty Thomas is a senior at Friendship Collegiate Academy.

The movie was decent. It gave a realistic perspective on the religious views about homosexuality and the cruelty of gay conversion camps. The movie’s main character, Jared learns to just “fake it till he makes it” at one of these camps that gave lessons on how to be “straight” by learning sports, masculine poses, and patriarchal teaching—which is ridiculous.

The movie tackled real-world issues that happen when religion and sexuality clash. The movie was not bad, but it could have been better. Some of the scenes could have been executed with more emotion. I don’t think I would advise anyone to see it, but I would advise others to just talk about the issue.

Aneara Burns is a junior at Friendship Collegiate Academy.

 The rating we collectively give this movie is a 6.5/10.