It’s been three years since we’ve seen a Joel Edgerton film — mind you, a Joel Edgerton-directed one, given that the Australian actor is about as prolific as one gets in Hollywood these days — and we have to say that we’re quite excited to see more of his work. Edgerton’s first feature, the black-hearted thriller The Gift, demonstrated his well-honed skill as a thrill-crafter, and we’re interested that he’s now moving on to more dramatic fare. Now, he’s teamed up with Manchester by the Sea and Lady Bird standout Lucas Hedges to tackle Boy Erased, the true story of one teenager’s time in a gay conversion therapy program.
It’s a heavy trailer, but it’s well-worth ruining your afternoon over. Take a look:
We’re excited to see what Edgerton is able to do with a cast of this caliber, given that he was able to wring career-best work out of Jason Bateman (who, in the aftermath of his recent Arrested Development gaffe, appears to not have been playing that far outside of his own personal character) and Rebecca Hall. Hedges is quite the formidable screen presence, and pairing him alongside Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman seems to be a recipe for success. We’re noticing quite a bit more of Edgerton’s longtime collaborator Jeff Nichols here in the landscapes, so that’s fascinating as well. Also, the director himself is acting the film, playing the leader of the camp, and boy is that a period-accurate depiction of what a small-town youth leader would have looked like then, right down to the creepy hairstyle and mustache. It gave us shivers, that accurate evil!
Anyways, here’s a synopsis:
“Boy Erased tells the story of Jared (Hedges), the son of a Baptist pastor in a small American town, who is outed to his parents (Kidman and Crowe) at age 19. Jared is faced with an ultimatum: attend a gay conversion therapy program — or be permanently exiled and shunned by his family, friends, and faith. ‘Boy Erased’ is the true story of one young man’s struggle to find himself while being forced to question every aspect of his identity.”
Boy Erased hits theaters on November 2.
Featured image via Focus Features.