The Boys in the Band

In 2018, Mart Crowley's The Boys in the Band was produced on Broadway to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Netflix's 2020 film version takes the entire stage to the screen. The entire stage cast of openly gay actors reprises their roles. In the cast are Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, and Matt Bomer. This is a Ryan Murphy project but he passes directing to Joe Mantello.


The story takes place a year before Stonewall, and six friends are throwing a party for Harold (Quinto). The party is at Michael's (Parsons) home. Soon everyone arrives except Harold. There is Emory (Robin de Jesus), Larry (Andrew Rannells), Hank (Tuc Watkins), and Bernard (Michael Benjamin Washington). Two other unexpected guests are a midnight cowboy (Charlie Carver) and Michael's straight college roommate Alan (Brian Hutchison). The entire film takes place in one location, Michael's apartment. The setting allows the film to dive deep into what each character doesn't like about themselves while intensifying the stakes of the night in such a closed off setting.


The most interesting thing about how the story is written is the theme of getting old. Each character acts like reaching the age of 35 is the end of the world. The characters also make no references to anything happening in the outside world that oppresses them. Their self-hatred is an internalization of what society thinks of them.


Jim Parsons's performance holds the film together. He is snapping at guests and moves from delight to rage in seconds. His pain drives his cruelness and he never lets you forget it. It is a role that we have never seen him take on and he does it so beautifully.