Review of The Boys in the Band (2020) by Zarikz — 18 Apr 2021

"The boys in the band" was first produced in 1970. The second movie version directed by Joe Mantello was released in 2020. Both versions are adapted from a play with the same name written by Mart Crowley.

In both cases, the play premiered two years before shooting the movie. In 1968, it was an off-Broadway play and its revival in 2018, which won a Tony Award. It is a story of a group of young gay men who gather for their friend Harold's birthday party in Micheal's house.

The party will not go according to the plan, and there is one uninvited old friend of Micheal. The night continued with a tensive drunken game suggested by Micheal, and as a result, many facts and honest emotions reveal during the game.

It is a frank story of struggles and conflicts. Conflicts between friends who are close yet too far to speak directly without twisting their feeling. Struggle to reveal your true self in a society that chooses to be either not supportive or just partly supportive.

And for most, the inner battle inside your head about everything and yourself. It is not a frame story or a short part lost in the play about a gay man. The whole story is about the life of these gay men, which can resemble many others in society.