Top 100 Most Anticipated American Indie Films of 2018: #69. Joel Edgerton’s Boy Erased

Boy Erased

While we give the advantage Nash (Gringo is sitting in our #84 spot) in terms of who between the two has a better filmmaker’s eye, in 2018 and coincidentally in a non-battle of mid-sized American based sophomore film productions between the siblings; it’s Joel Edgerton who has the edge. The long time actor’s debut film The Gift was a solid genre item (read review) — we called it a “refreshing, in the sense it’s a genre thriller finally packaged for adults even if it is predicated on events from the characters’ adolescence, The Gift is still very much rooted in more recent ruminations on the detrimental impact of bullying, a theme sometimes seemingly too predominant thanks to the current cultural climate.” Comparably Gringo vs. Boy Erased  both have meaty casts (lots of Aussies here) in place, it’s the source material in Garrard Conley’s novel Boy Erased: A Memoir that might the film some robust roots as it takes aim at old school values, the cultural divide and the asinine idea of conversion therapy. Focus appear to be betting big on the title.

Filming took place in the fall of last year, with Joel joining a cast comprised Lucas Hedges, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, Cherry Jones, Flea and filmmaker Xavier Dolan (featured in our most anticipated world cinema items with The Death and Life of John F. Donovan), this tells the tale of Garrard (Hedges), the son of a Baptist pastor in a small American town, is outed to his parents (Kidman and Crowe) as gay at the age of 19. Garrard is quickly pressured into attending a gay conversion therapy program – or else be shunned by his family, friends, and church. It is within the program that Garrard comes into conflict with its head therapist (Joel Edgerton). The weighty project looks like an awards contender with some potentially high calibre perfs and quality work from the likes of cinematographer Eduard Grau (also dp’ed Gringo) and prod. designer Chad Keith.

Release Date/Prediction: Focus Features will be looking at a major film festival red carpet release just prior to their September 28th release.