Boy Erased could've easily been a seriously impactful & powerful film - considering the subject matter & its focus on the horrors of conversion therapy in the US - but it sadly lacks the emotional punch its trailers seemed to suggest it possesses; if anything, they were far more moving than the actual movie itself...
It's littered with astonishingly bad, clichéd, cheesy lines of dialogue; ill conceived, constructed & directed scenes & a story which seems to wander aimlessly for nearly 2 hours - I've no idea if the blame lies with amateur writing or the director who failed to realise the potential in the concept / story.
The performances are also frustratingly underwhelming & Troye Sivan's appearance acts as nothing more than a glorified cameo; he's usually seen looking bored in the middle of a panning shot depicting people's reactions, reflecting how I felt while watching throughout - obviously only there to promote his new music.
Its only minor success I feel the compulsion to acknowledge is in capturing the absurdity & ridiculousness of people's religious practices & beliefs - & though the acting didn't really sell these sequences or make me believe they were real enough to emotionally invest myself in the events as they unfolded, it's worth commendation for the sheer bravery of an attempt.
Review of Boy Erased
