Boy Erased (2018)

Jared Hedges is the son of a Baptist preacher in a small town, who is confronted with an ultimatum after being forcibly outed to his parents: attend a church-sponsored conversion therapy programme, or lose his family, friends, and faith. 

Based on author and  LGBTQIA+ activist Garrard Conley’s acclaimed autobiographical memoir, this true story is written and directed by Golden Globe-nominated actor Joel Edgerton (The Great Gatsby), who also stars.

Oscar nominee Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea) was nominated for a Golden Globe as Jared, with Oscar winners Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe as his parents. The stellar cast also includes Emmy winner Cherry Jones (The Handmaid’s Tale), Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, and South African-born Spud actor, singer and YouTuber Troye Sivan, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for the film’s theme song, Revelation. 

Boy, Erased won the 2019 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Limited Release Film and has a 81% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. CNN calls it, “one of those meticulously crafted films imbued with the kind of quiet power that can, and should, truly leave a mark.”

“It’s done with such evident love and sensitivity that it’s hard to imagine a human being not connecting in some way,” says Associated Press.