Movie · 1999 · Crime, Drama · 1h 58m · R · English
Curator score: 7.4/10 (189.9K ratings)
A true story about finding the courage to be yourself.
Overview
A young transgender man explores his gender identity and searches for love in rural Nebraska.
Ratings
Curator score: 7.4/10
IMDb: 7.5/10
Letterboxd: 3.69/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Metacritic: 86
TMDB: 7.4/10
Director
Kimberly Peirce
Production
Fox Searchlight Pictures, IFC Productions, Killer Films, Hart-Sharp Entertainment
Cast
Hilary Swank, Chloë Sevigny, Peter Sarsgaard, Brendan Sexton III, Alicia Goranson, Alison Folland, Jeannetta Arnette, Rob Campbell, Matt McGrath, Cheyenne Rushing, Lou Perryman, Paige Carl Griggs, Jerry Haynes, Shana McClendon, Libby Villari, Gail Cronauer, Robert Prentiss, Josh Ridgway, Stephanie Sechrist, Craig Erickson
Curator Review
Verdict
A devastating, important true-crime drama with strong performances and real historical weight, though its 1999 perspective and graphic violence make it difficult and, for many viewers, ethically complicated. It is worth watching if you want a serious, emotionally punishing film about trans identity, love, and brutality in a hostile world.
Best for
viewers seeking a hard-hitting prestige drama based on a true story
audiences interested in trans history and LGBTQ cinema
fans of intense, award-caliber performances
people who can handle graphic violence and trauma on screen
Skip if
you want a sensitive modern trans perspective
you are uncomfortable with rape, murder, or prolonged abuse
you prefer uplifting or hopeful queer stories
you are sensitive to older films that misgender or deadname their subjects
Overview
Boys Don't Cry is one of the defining American dramas of the late 1990s: raw, ugly, and impossible to ignore. Kimberly Peirce directs it with a grim procedural clarity that lets the cruelty of the setting accumulate until the film becomes almost unbearable. Hilary Swank’s performance is the film’s anchor, full of vulnerability, charm, and stubborn self-invention.
Worth noting
At the same time, the film is also a product of its era, and that matters. Its handling of trans identity is deeply contested now, especially in how it frames Brandon Teena through violence, misgendering, and a cis-centered lens. For some viewers, that makes the film feel essential but flawed; for others, it makes it hard to recommend at all.
Bottom line
As a piece of cinema, it is powerful and expertly acted. As a cultural artifact, it is complicated and painful. If you watch it, do so with the understanding that its impact comes as much from what it exposes as from what it gets wrong.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Sally Jane Black · 2084 likes
TW: transphobic violence, rape, murder
I guess the first things I need to do are note the usual crimes. The film deadnames Brandon Teena, misgenders him, and while it ultimately falls heavily on Brandon's side in a lot of ways, it still fails to equip uneducated viewers with a way to respectfully address and respond to the subject matter. If you think that isn't this film's purpose, my response is merely to point out that its purpose is very obviously… more
single white femalien · 1977 likes
haha woah so many people reviewing this are really really gross
brandon teena was a man not a confused woman it's like, rly super simple to understand thanks for your time
isaac (2.5★) · 1419 likes
don't really understand how people can watch the real life story of a trans person who was brutally raped and murdered shown through lengthy sequences and take away that this is a tragic romeo and julietesque story about how sad it is when society doesn't accept you... this is the reality for so many trans people, it's not romantic, it's horrifying.
Mel (2★) · 1260 likes
Maybe don’t deadname the person your movie is based off of in the credits? Ever think about that?
EDIT: I hate this website where my 4-year-old reviews still get engagement and people trying to argue with me. Squabble on your own time, but I’m turning off comments.