Big Boys Review
Coming-of-age films are a hard art form to perfect. Characterised by heartachingly passionate performances set to a permanently memorable score, Corey Sherman’s Big Boys manages to not only permeate the coming-of-age genre effortlessly but also attempts to redefine it. On paper, the film feels geared up to disappoint with a narrative explored before: a queer teenager realising who he is on a camping trip. On screen, the warmth of Sherman’s personal experiences lightens the heaviness of Jamie’s (played by Isaac Krasner) feelings of isolation.
Given it’s marketed as a coming-of-age comedy, Sherman’s decision to make Jamie a character subjected to off-hand remarks, intense nervousness, and an increased sensitivity to human emotion is a risky one. At times, it doesn’t feel comedic – it feels just awful to watch Jamie restrain his longing and desire for clarity. Our sympathy doesn’t go unrewarded, however: Sherman pulls the queer coming-of-age out of the trenches of mid-2010s YA fiction and gives Jamie agency with a subtle tear-jerker of an ending.
Even an untrained eye will notice the simple suburban set dressing or the pleasantly saturated colour grading, both helping Big Boys to feel like it belongs in the genre of timeless teenage films. The film finds its rhythm quickly: this is not a film that builds up tension only to release it in a half-hearted monologue. This is a real story laced with the lesson that to yearn is human. To yearn is agonising. To yearn is to be young.
Cinematographer Gus Bendinelli manages to frame Jamie as capable, not inferior, especially when in the shadow of Dan (played by David Johnson III), the eventual subject of Jamie’s realisations. Bendinelli’s shots are portraits of our characters: each with their own stakes. Yes, Jamie’s fragility and requirement for validation often overcast his caring and gentle persona, but cousin Allie’s (played by Dora Madison) protectiveness is clear despite her supporting role. Even brother Will (played by Taj Cross) manages to tug at heartstrings when his harder, apathetic shell is briefly discarded to provide Jamie with the same resourcefulness he gives everyone else, offering him first aid for an injury he obtains while lost with Dan in the forest.
Ultimately, Sherman’s love letter to youth and discovery is well-written, with Isaac Krasner the perfect sender. Big Boys is an ode to the reason filmmakers often make films: to see themselves and allow others to find the solidarity they seek. Like Jamie, audiences will likely find themselves wrapped up in every quirk of Dan’s, and thus find themselves reminiscing—much like I did—over experiences both loved and lost in adolescence.
★★★★
In UK cinemas August 29th 2025 / Isaac Krasner, Dora Madison, David Johnson III, Taj Cross, Emily Deschanel / Dir: Corey Sherman / Icon Film Distribution
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