A film that feels like it wants to be complex but which is too often reduced to a simple experience by the use of over-familiar scenes, devices and plot lines. Some strong acting helps and the film is saved by swerving away from the expected laddish conclusions into a more satisfying study of the nature and perils of machismo. This, along with Anya Taylor-Joy's performance, allow the viewer to walk away feeling like they have watched a more solid and serious film , but only just.
22 Reviews
Taylor Joy fanboys only
A_Different_Drummer29 April 2021
Taylor-Joy, Miami born doing a good Irish accent, plays older-for-younger and is the "smartest person in the room" in this otherwise familiar tale of young male self-destruction. You don't need a movie for that. Just walk to the local grocery store.
AnyaTayJoy's another influential role.
whk-646457 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The first turning point in the story takes place when the three boys witness the death of a child in a road accident. This traumatic event seems to gradually shake up the trio, and Matthew in particular, who later begins to question his dangerous friendship with Kearney. Their conflicts become more open when Kearney starts harassing a homeless man and pushes Matthew to give him some lethal drugs.
While all of the adults remain on the fringes of the narrative, Matthew's girlfriend, Jen (Anya Taylor-Joy), plays a more influential role, acting as a sort of "voice of conscience". She appears to be much more mature and self-aware than the three boys, and invites Matthew not to be ashamed of his sensitivity.
On the whole, the drama is characterised by an engaging narrative pace (enhanced by a number of smooth editing choices) as well as by a powerful score and some dynamic cinematography that accurately depict the turbulent (and hallucinatory) lives of these three "young men". A recurring device that brings in Matthew and Kearney's trippy experiences is the fictitious television programme Big Show!, the crazy host of which recklessly encourages behaviour of the worst kind. While these intermissions may initially appear as a little over the top, they effectively serve the purpose of visualising - and emphasising - the characters' distorted perception of themselves and the reality surrounding them, which will be essential to the development of the final stages of the story.
Here Are the Young Men was produced by Hail Mary Pictures (Ireland), Foton Pictures (USA), Funny Leopard (Ireland), Glanzrock Productions (USA), Egg Studios (Ireland) and Union Entertainment Group (USA). Its international sales are being handled by US outfit Arclight. Review by Davide Abbatescianni
Here Are the Young Men was produced by Hail Mary Pictures (Ireland), Foton Pictures (USA), Funny Leopard (Ireland), Glanzrock Productions (USA), Egg Studios (Ireland) and Union Entertainment Group (USA). Its international sales are being handled by US outfit Arclight. Review by Davide Abbatescianni
Terrible writing
seanie-856592 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
As a fan of the book and work of the people involved in this film I was excited to watch this for a long time. The acting wasn't bad at all and the film had a lot of good cinematography shots with a creative use of lighting. But due to the writing and lack of character development I finished this film feeling confused and honestly laughed as it felt like an RTE drug awareness video from the 90s that they show you in school.
The plot was all over the place as the film tried to do too many things at once which ultimately took away from important character insight - while watching the film I was constantly waiting to get know the characters. There was absolutely no chemistry which made watching feel awkward at times.
They tried to make Kearney's father come across as abusive when ultimately he seemed flawed which didn't give any explanation as to why Kearney has "psychotic" tendencies.
Most of the dialogue was shallow and made me cringe, as a young Irish person I have not met anyone who spoke the way these characters spoke. It definitely translated as an uncanny valley perception of being young which doesn't make sense considering the director was Irish himself which made me feel he was quite sheltered. Considering this film would definitely be for a young adult audience it was definitely not relatable in the slightest.
From the start of the film to the end, the characters internal conflicts did not change or come to much of a conclusion. While Matthew came to a "conclusion" there was nothing new to learn from the conflict and situation that we learnt before the first half of the film through his perception.
I personally hate the argument of representation - especially in film. But honestly for a film about the Irish youth the representation was terrible due to the bad character writing. I would expect a lot better for a huge production with fantastic well known actors as well as it being a unique film set in Ireland.
A lot of hard work went into making this film and I do look forward to seeing the actors work in the future.
The plot was all over the place as the film tried to do too many things at once which ultimately took away from important character insight - while watching the film I was constantly waiting to get know the characters. There was absolutely no chemistry which made watching feel awkward at times.
They tried to make Kearney's father come across as abusive when ultimately he seemed flawed which didn't give any explanation as to why Kearney has "psychotic" tendencies.
Most of the dialogue was shallow and made me cringe, as a young Irish person I have not met anyone who spoke the way these characters spoke. It definitely translated as an uncanny valley perception of being young which doesn't make sense considering the director was Irish himself which made me feel he was quite sheltered. Considering this film would definitely be for a young adult audience it was definitely not relatable in the slightest.
From the start of the film to the end, the characters internal conflicts did not change or come to much of a conclusion. While Matthew came to a "conclusion" there was nothing new to learn from the conflict and situation that we learnt before the first half of the film through his perception.
I personally hate the argument of representation - especially in film. But honestly for a film about the Irish youth the representation was terrible due to the bad character writing. I would expect a lot better for a huge production with fantastic well known actors as well as it being a unique film set in Ireland.
A lot of hard work went into making this film and I do look forward to seeing the actors work in the future.
Some decent acting cannot save this complete mess.
mholmez30 April 2021
This is one of those movies where at the end you think to yourself why did you even bother making this, the plot is basically non existent just some teens doing some drugs and acting out in one extreme or another due to an event they all experience, throw in some bizarre and completely pointless dream like figments of their imaginations and there that's it end of story.
No real meaning behind any of it, no grand or meaningful statement just utter nonsense. The only reason for 3 stars instead of 1 is due to the acting, they all seem like very competent actors but they can only do so much with this.
Skip this movie entirely if you are wanting some druggy teen drama and instead just go watch Human Traffic or even Requiem for a Dream both of which put this nonsense to shame.
No real meaning behind any of it, no grand or meaningful statement just utter nonsense. The only reason for 3 stars instead of 1 is due to the acting, they all seem like very competent actors but they can only do so much with this.
Skip this movie entirely if you are wanting some druggy teen drama and instead just go watch Human Traffic or even Requiem for a Dream both of which put this nonsense to shame.
Not Anya Taylor-Joy's Best Work
OzoneParkSteve28 April 2021
I can't help but think that after Emma and Queens Gambit that Anya Taylor-Joy could get better roles than this. I should say that I absolutely adore this woman, she is beautiful and and made good choices as far as acting roles go BUT this movie just stinks. The storyline is sometimes dumb, (I wont add any spoilers) and as much as I love watching Anya this is not her best work, for example her Irish accent seems to come and go between Irish and American English. Hopefully she will continue to hone her craft and get better offers going forward.
Very stylish drama/thriller but lacking depth.
mooveephantom16 January 2022
Engaging story about the dark decent of a group of boys. Some very solid acting from the main cast, especially from Dean-Charles Chapman. You really did believe his character was going through the crisis in the movie. Unlike many other reviewers, I actually enjoyed the absurd meta dream sequences. They were an interesting way to present the themes and troubles of the young men, adding a black humor element. The film was shot was like a music video, with a lot of beautiful effects and vibrant colors contrasting the dark content of violence, vandalism, drug binging, suicide, rape and even murder. Unfortunately, it lacks some more substance into why one of the main characters does what they do. Needed more background and exploration on downward spiral of mental illness and motivation. The film's message gets even more lost towards the last act. Although the story ending was somewhat satisfying, it still left a bad taste. But you definitely can't hate on Chapman for trying to sell the story, fantastic acting. Still worth watching.
complete trash
jkxddncbn29 April 2021
Tried my best to like it since we were watching it with some friends but the directing of this movie was to say the least, horrendous. Would like to see some of these actors in another movie together since their acting was phenomenal (specially the actress who played jen) it was more like the directors fault than their own to be honest.
Decent movie from a great book
katiejackman-718309 May 2021
The people reviewing this with bad reviews clearly missed the point. This is a movie based on the book by Rob Doyle. The book was fantastic and portrays the dark side of early adulthood well. It explores themes such as mental illness in a way that is brutally honest. The movie had to cut out some of that and obviously had to find a way to adapt Kearney's hallucinations. Eoin Macken did a great job making a great book into a movie, especially given the resources and the budget he had to work with. This movie had the potential to be better than it was, but it certainly wasn't horrible. If you're just watching for Anya Taylor-Joy, you won't like the movie. She was a part of this project long before she became famous for her roles in Queen's Gambit or Emma. She certainly isn't the only good part of this film. I highly recommend you read the book, as the movie becomes much more comprehensible once you have.
Awful. Please avoid at all costs.
seanmaccaleeds26 September 2021
Brilliant, dark, and experimental. Stunning acting & great script!
antoniatejedabarros5 August 2021
I loved Here Are the Young Men. I bought the DVD because we love Ferdia. The film is dark, brilliant, and experimental. Good for very mature teenagers (16 onwards). The acting (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Dean-Charles Chapman, and Finn Cole) is stunning. The movie felt a bit like Trainspotting but more experimental. It doesn't surprised me the low rating. The world is upside down. This is a film that will make you think, feel, and cry. So, not for everybody. No monsters or spaceships or superheroes here; only real and sensitive troubled teenagers. One of the best films of 2020. Watch it. 10/10.
This is seriously under rated.
calicut11011 December 2021
Wow, I almost didn't watch this due to the 4.9 rating at the time. This movie is nothing really special but it has a lot of good things. Great acting, interesting direction, thought provoking scenes and a good soundtrack. This is a good film to watch if you don't mind being a bit disturbed.
Complete Time Pass
pronitmallick13 May 2021
Here Are the Young Men is a movie that starts in a janky way and stays that way for the next 90 minutes. The performance of the actors seems to get blend with the act but doesn't have that much of an impact. Right from the first arc till the last the elements of the movie are quite janky and most of the time it makes you wanna skip scenes. The direction and screenplay both needed more polish. In the end, it's a movie that's not for recommending someone cause you will forget it after watching it once. When it comes to time pass this movie definitely falls into that club.
Lacks originality, Full of Cliches- Came for Anya Taylor-Joy
LennyReviewz17 January 2023
Cautionary tale of be careful who your friends are.
Saw this because I'm running through everything with Anya in it. Side Note: Her as a redhead, works.
The thing that bothers me the most about this movie, is the lack of originality. Everything is so cliched, and lazily written. They tried too hard to be edgy and standout, and you could tell.
It's a shame, because all the actors did a pretty good job. They each played their individual roles nicely. Matthew could've been more assertive though. He was such a pushover. But maybe that was the point, especially given how the film ended. Makes sense, I guess.
They are seriously affected by what they witnessed to begin the Summer and paid the price for it in one way or another. Each actor has their own well defined struggle that they try to cope with and manage. Some actors didn't fare out too well.
It's a short enjoyable watch. Not horrible or anything, just lacks originality. Worth watching, especially if you can't get enough of Anya lol
This gets a LennyReviewz Score of: 5/10.
Saw this because I'm running through everything with Anya in it. Side Note: Her as a redhead, works.
The thing that bothers me the most about this movie, is the lack of originality. Everything is so cliched, and lazily written. They tried too hard to be edgy and standout, and you could tell.
It's a shame, because all the actors did a pretty good job. They each played their individual roles nicely. Matthew could've been more assertive though. He was such a pushover. But maybe that was the point, especially given how the film ended. Makes sense, I guess.
They are seriously affected by what they witnessed to begin the Summer and paid the price for it in one way or another. Each actor has their own well defined struggle that they try to cope with and manage. Some actors didn't fare out too well.
It's a short enjoyable watch. Not horrible or anything, just lacks originality. Worth watching, especially if you can't get enough of Anya lol
This gets a LennyReviewz Score of: 5/10.
Yeah what ?
jakesyn513 May 2021
No
monkfish6871 January 2022
Not absolutely horrendous, could be better
collene-480995 February 2024
Warning: Spoilers
The movie doesn't end up relaying any message with any sort of significance. Sure, Matthew ends up killing the "bad guy" in the end, but what is that proving? What bigger picture is being painted? It's definitely nothing important or eye-opening. The actors are great individually. They're all very talented, but ultimately the writing is what ended up destroying any potential this movie had. No amount of exceptional acting can save a terribly written plot. The plot is bland, with nothing overly captivating happening. If you don't keep up with the copious amounts of time-skips, you'll get lost, and there's definitely also some questionably filmed scenes on the directors part. The movie's attempt at having "artistic" scenes, that are supposed to play into the viewers own interpretation, just end up being confusing and never actually get clarified in the end. I don't mean to tear into this film too much. It's not unwatchable. As I said, it's ultimately not a terrible movie. It's worth watching, but really only for the acting/actors, don't expect anything special.
A world far from glamorous
duncanzp7 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Here are the Young Men, based on Rob Doyle's novel, was adapted and directed by Eoin Macken and was shown as part of the Galway Film Fleadh on Saturday, 11th July. The film follows Matthew, Kearney and Rez, three trouble-making young guys that have just escaped the mundane clutches of secondary school and are readying themselves for a summer of hedonism and the impending uncertainty of post-school life. Already seemingly jaded by the 2003 Celtic Tiger Dublin that they see around them, their outlook flips when a young girl is knocked over by a car right before their eyes. This tragic event underpins their summer; their responses leading to drastic measures and destruction.
The trio's world is far from glamorous yet there's an energetic vibe; they are always seeking out the next thrill. On the one hand there is drugs and parties and a minimal amount of sobriety, yet they are still playing video games in their small stuffy bedrooms in their family homes. There is a glimpse of maturity and a brighter future through Matthew's relationship with Jen (Anya Taylor- Joy) but the dominant relationship in this film consists of Matthew trying to navigate his connection with the sadistically charged Kearney whose actions have become increasingly hostile and dangerous following the accident they witnessed.
There is a high level of repressed emotions going on with these characters. The film encapsulates these under-the-surface feelings by showing the young men on television screens in an imaginary game-show situation. It's an enjoyable deep dive in nostalgia for early noughties technology- there's a glimpse of what appears to be a Nokia 3310 - however, TV is used here to tap into the emotions that the characters are really feeling. While the young men are stilted in expressing their response to the accident, they freely express themselves while performing on TV. In these high energy fantasy game shows the boys discuss how they really feel, want to be seen and how they understand themselves and their lives; existing in opposition to their difficulties to express emotion in real life with one another.
Violence pervades this film as a central theme. The world as they see it is against them; uninvolved parents, disregarded by their teachers at school and the future an unsettling question mark. Following on from the accident of the young girl getting knocked down, the film explores the different ways violence can manifest. Each of the three characters respond differently to what they have witnessed. Rez's internalization and self-destructive manners increase whereas Kearney, already hot-headed explodes into a sadistic thrill seeker, whose actions can no longer be trusted, all in the pursuit to feel something. Matthew has to grapple with both of these contrasting violent responses, resulting in his own world and sense of self eventually crumbling.
Centre any work on three under 20s and the idea of coming of age will always arise. Here are the Young Men is a dark and drug fuelled coming of age that pushes the characters to their furthest edges; coming out of the weed fog to become aware of the harshness of the world and of having moral responsibilities. The film explores the psyche of young men; unable to discuss how they feel their desires and confusion are externalised through sadistic and self-destructive acts. Overall, the film boasts some excellent performances and is an engaging reflection on toxic masculinity and the futility of the youthful highs that quickly lose their lustre - drink, drugs, and video games.
DIR/WRI: Eoin Macken
CAST: Dean-Charles Chapman, Finn Cole, Anya Taylor- Joy, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo
Here are the Young Men screened on 11th July 2020 as part of the Galway Film Fleadh 2020 (7-12 July).
EOIN C. MACKENIRENE FALVEYIRISH FILM REVIEW REVIEW OF IRISH FILM AT GALWAY FILM FLEADH 2020 by Steven
The trio's world is far from glamorous yet there's an energetic vibe; they are always seeking out the next thrill. On the one hand there is drugs and parties and a minimal amount of sobriety, yet they are still playing video games in their small stuffy bedrooms in their family homes. There is a glimpse of maturity and a brighter future through Matthew's relationship with Jen (Anya Taylor- Joy) but the dominant relationship in this film consists of Matthew trying to navigate his connection with the sadistically charged Kearney whose actions have become increasingly hostile and dangerous following the accident they witnessed.
There is a high level of repressed emotions going on with these characters. The film encapsulates these under-the-surface feelings by showing the young men on television screens in an imaginary game-show situation. It's an enjoyable deep dive in nostalgia for early noughties technology- there's a glimpse of what appears to be a Nokia 3310 - however, TV is used here to tap into the emotions that the characters are really feeling. While the young men are stilted in expressing their response to the accident, they freely express themselves while performing on TV. In these high energy fantasy game shows the boys discuss how they really feel, want to be seen and how they understand themselves and their lives; existing in opposition to their difficulties to express emotion in real life with one another.
Violence pervades this film as a central theme. The world as they see it is against them; uninvolved parents, disregarded by their teachers at school and the future an unsettling question mark. Following on from the accident of the young girl getting knocked down, the film explores the different ways violence can manifest. Each of the three characters respond differently to what they have witnessed. Rez's internalization and self-destructive manners increase whereas Kearney, already hot-headed explodes into a sadistic thrill seeker, whose actions can no longer be trusted, all in the pursuit to feel something. Matthew has to grapple with both of these contrasting violent responses, resulting in his own world and sense of self eventually crumbling.
Centre any work on three under 20s and the idea of coming of age will always arise. Here are the Young Men is a dark and drug fuelled coming of age that pushes the characters to their furthest edges; coming out of the weed fog to become aware of the harshness of the world and of having moral responsibilities. The film explores the psyche of young men; unable to discuss how they feel their desires and confusion are externalised through sadistic and self-destructive acts. Overall, the film boasts some excellent performances and is an engaging reflection on toxic masculinity and the futility of the youthful highs that quickly lose their lustre - drink, drugs, and video games.
DIR/WRI: Eoin Macken
CAST: Dean-Charles Chapman, Finn Cole, Anya Taylor- Joy, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo
Here are the Young Men screened on 11th July 2020 as part of the Galway Film Fleadh 2020 (7-12 July).
EOIN C. MACKENIRENE FALVEYIRISH FILM REVIEW REVIEW OF IRISH FILM AT GALWAY FILM FLEADH 2020 by Steven
Realism
fitzhardy28 April 2021
Don't pay attention toom much on actors that could've act better what matters is the story that keeps happening to the young community and all these suicides needs attention. Editing and sound mixing are great because makes you feel their experiences when they are drunk , angry or depressed so enjoy it.
The cast helped sell the story, glad it didnt get too dark!
thenextrushmagazine8 August 2021
I was fortunate enough to not have read the book so I was coming in with fresh eyes and very open to what was on offer after being in my 6th week of lockdown and scraping the bottom of my Netflix / Prime Video barrels.
The film is a snapshot in time that marks the promise of a bright future during one of the most prosperous periods in Ireland's economic and political history. Yet this 2003 era of the "Celtic Tiger" seems to elude the country's seemingly broken sons born of generations of poverty. It's a paradox-pocked landscape in which its protagonists manifest the national psyche of the time in which a nation had an identity crisis and ideas of success were measured on materialism.
Not too dark, Not too light and a great ensemble cast that really got to spread their wings from other roles we know many of them for, Hollyoaks fans - look out for the random homeless guy. I'm not typically one for coming of age dramas so this hit the mark for me with its colorful cinematics as the backdrop for some dark material. There's lots of room for you to draw your own conclusions without having to be spoonfed everything, so if you didn't enjoy it, that's kind of on you.
I would have wished Eoin Macken took more liberties in his interpretation of the book exploring more backstory, showing more scenery of Dublin perhaps and evening out the character development and screen time with Rez who was drowned out a little from the strong performances of Finn Cole and DC Chapman.
The film is a snapshot in time that marks the promise of a bright future during one of the most prosperous periods in Ireland's economic and political history. Yet this 2003 era of the "Celtic Tiger" seems to elude the country's seemingly broken sons born of generations of poverty. It's a paradox-pocked landscape in which its protagonists manifest the national psyche of the time in which a nation had an identity crisis and ideas of success were measured on materialism.
Not too dark, Not too light and a great ensemble cast that really got to spread their wings from other roles we know many of them for, Hollyoaks fans - look out for the random homeless guy. I'm not typically one for coming of age dramas so this hit the mark for me with its colorful cinematics as the backdrop for some dark material. There's lots of room for you to draw your own conclusions without having to be spoonfed everything, so if you didn't enjoy it, that's kind of on you.
I would have wished Eoin Macken took more liberties in his interpretation of the book exploring more backstory, showing more scenery of Dublin perhaps and evening out the character development and screen time with Rez who was drowned out a little from the strong performances of Finn Cole and DC Chapman.
uber-cool Jen
m-717657 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
#NME 2809938 2020
The girl Matthew is totally enamoured called Jen, played by Anya Taylor-Joy.The other boys mock him but the pair soon hook up and become a couple.
Things predictably unravel as Matthew's drug-derived jealousy and paranoia appear to scupper his relationship with Jen, while Kearney's grotesque true nature is unveiled through a series of unsavoury revelations. There's intense imagery from Macken, who co-wrote the script with the author of the source novel Rob Doyle, as the youngsters get increasingly out of control, while the soundtrack impresses with tracks like 'Where Do I Begin?' by The Chemical Brothers.
In the lead role is Chapman, solid as you but slightly less memorable than Cole. He does his best to make viewers' skin crawl as the repulsive Kearney while Taylor-Joy puts in an impressive performance, proving yet again that she has charisma to burn. Unfortunately, the story, lively though it is, feels somewhat slight. The kids take drugs, get drunk, commit some heinous acts, which is momentarily engaging but hardly revolutionary. That aside, the gameshow dream sequences, while entertaining and suitably demented, jar with the rest of the film and don't quite mesh in the way that, say, Trainspotting's similar scenes do. All this means that Here Are The Young Men is worth a watch but should be approached with caution.
The Epitome of Psychotic Male Friend Groups
jjtrain-8222517 April 2023
I personally really enjoyed this movie. It is gut wrenching as you experience the many manipulative tactics and gaslighting used by the psychopath+sociopath and his cold hearted thought process on how he viewed the world. It shows the effects of toxic masculinity, misogyny, and being a victim of psychopaths/sociopaths ways in a male friend group. Many of these elements can be put with and related with real life experiences, it shows the effect of experiencing a stranger's death to "normal" people's minds and to psychotic minds that are not socially inclined to the consequences of the real world in any social way. The symbolism of this movie is consistent and very well done, I really loved how it was presented. Those who view the symbolism may have different opinion on how it was presented, but I personally thought it wasn't over done and really added to the main story and development. Acting was also pretty well done, Finn Cole played the role of a psychotic person very well. Cinematography was good and rarely bad in moments, but does not take away from the message and story the director is making as you watch. This movie can be considered unique/different in how it shows the development of characters but in a good way. Wouldn't recommend to those who are sensitive to drug abuse, sexual assault, and graphic content. Overall great movie, made me have physical and emotional reactions with the gut cringe of the psychopaths actions, thought process, and manipulation against the MC. 9/10 I recommend watching.
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