6 Movies to Watch While Social Distancing
Film poster from A24
By Jonathon Reed
Since a lot of us are spending a lot more time at home than we’re used to, I decided now would be a good time to share some of the films that I’ve collected over the years that reflect boyhood masculinity in a meaningful way. These are some of my favourites that can be found either on Netflix (because whether or not it’s on Netflix seems to be the first question people ask when I make a recommendation) or on Hoopla. (If you haven’t heard of Hoopla, it’s a digital lending platform from the leading provider of media products to public libraries in North America.)
Find yourself an evening (or six) and enjoy some of these highly acclaimed films!
Mid90s
A heartfelt depiction of 90s adolescence written and directed by Jonah Hill in a powerful pivot towards challenging traditional masculinity.
“It is a film about a boy’s ability to take abuse, as his only available recourse to some semblance of masculine strength. For a boy whose singular goal is to be “cool’ among other boys, manliness is a matter of enduring grave pain to shrug (or skate) it off a second later.” — Eileen G’sell
Capernaum
A harrowing drama about humanity and poverty that featured a cast of non-actors and won the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
“Capernaum is a poignant character study of a boy being punished for the crimes of a system that never gave him a chance. It’s a scathing commentary on the effects of poverty, the failure to properly respond to refugee crises, and simple human decency populated by those struggling just as much as the next yet have also crossed a line they cannot return from.” — Jared Mobarak
We the Animals
An evocative adaptation of Justin Torres’ acclaimed novel about emotion, violence, and the courage of selfhood.
“Brawling yet tender, wild yet rigorously controlled, We the Animals is an impressionistic swirl of a film about masculinity, about abuse, about growing up queer, about chaotic family life, about the jumble of incidents and stirrings through which a child discovers a self.” — Alan Scherstuhl
And Then I Go
An unsteady march through the pain of adolescent victimization that explores the roots of gun violence in schools.
“Vincent Grashaw’s adaptation of Jim Shepard’s 2004 novel Project X isn’t about red flags and warning signs so much as the toxic combination of angst, detachment and alienation that makes terrible decisions seem like the only recourse to kids who don’t know—or don’t believe—that the problems they’re facing will one day seem insignificant.” — Michael Nordine
Saturday Church
A character-driven musical that intertwines elegance and reality in the lives of inner city queer youth.
“Saturday Church is a sweet film with a purity of purpose and intent in its fictionalized depiction of the ballroom scene in New York, and how it operates as a safety net in a cruel and indifferent world.” — Sheila O’Malley
King Jack
A sensitive portrayal of adolescent rage and the question of resistance in the face of small-town violence.
“King Jack, while unabashedly a coming-of-age story, is even better as a portrait of masculinity in crisis, of how its passed down from one generation to the next, and how that process might best be interrupted. Even at its most clichéd moments, Thompson’s debut never loses sight of its hero’s most crucial lesson, and the one truth he’ll hopefully keep fighting to protect: Violence isn’t an expression of strength, it’s an expression of weakness.” — David Ehrlich
ICYMI This Week
Sports talk radio turns instead to toxic masculinity (The Washington Post)
Six Traits of Life-Changing Educators (MindShift)
Coronavirus is a Weapon in an Increasingly Bizarre Gender War (MEL Magazine)
Written by Next Gen Men Program Manager Jonathon Reed as part of Learnings & Unlearnings, a weekly newsletter reflecting on our experiences working with boys and young men. Subscribe to get Learnings & Unlearnings delivered to your email inbox.