House Of Boys (2011)

57% of critics liked it
(7 reviews)
44% of users liked it
(83 ratings)

A colorful and raw coming-of-age story set in the emerging gay dance club scene of Amsterdam 1984. House of Boys tells the story of Frank, a high school kid who leaves home and falls into the exciting new world of free sex, music and dance. When Frank's new world is suddenly turned upside down, his… More A colorful and raw coming-of-age story set in the emerging gay dance club scene of Amsterdam 1984. House of Boys tells the story of Frank, a high school kid who leaves home and falls into the exciting new world of free sex, music and dance. When Frank's new world is suddenly turned upside down, his struggle for courage in face of the unknown gives him a new and deep understanding of the true meaning of love. -- (C) Official Site

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 52 min.
Directed By: Jean-Claude Schlim
Written By: Jean-Claude Schlim, Robert David Graham
Genres: Drama, Romance, Musical & Performing Arts

In Theaters: Jul 29, 2011 Limited
Studio: Moonstone Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times
Against the odds, the indulgent mash-up of sex, old-fashioned corn, romance-novel fantasy and AIDS tragedy is a mostly winning combo.
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
A gay tragedy in three acts and more than a dozen excellent songs, "House of Boys" conveys an emotional honesty that overrides its dated style.
Andrew Schenker, Village Voice
For all its hanging on the details of the boys' heavily eroticized performances and its graphing of the relationships between the young performers, the film is at once too drawn out and underdeveloped.
Steve Ramos, Boxoffice Magazine
[A] sweet natured and showy go-go boys drama.
David Noh, Film Journal International
The message is everything in this film that one wants to recommend to the young and uneducated in a forgetful age, despite its lack of originality and its dramatic lapses.
Eric Henderson, Slant Magazine
Heteros get their Crazy, Stupid, Love. this weekend, and I guess gay New Yorkers, fresh off their immensely satisfying we-have-arrived nuptials, get their own Crazy, Stupid, Tragedy. as counterprogramming.
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
While it feels somewhat dated, as well as melodramatic, the filmmaking is intimate enough to keep us engaged with the characters.