This new release on Netflix was always going to catch a bunch of eyes because it is the first thing that many of us (me) have seen "Sheldon" in since Big Bang ended. It's a film about a bunch of gay men hanging out at a party in the late 60's (or was it early 70's?) and the struggles they face in society because it was a very different time back then. I wasn't even alive during it but I was alive in the 80's and I remember how different the overall attitude was towards the LGBT community back then.
[src](https://occ-0-299-300.1.nflxso.net/dnm/api/v6/X194eJsgWBDE2aQbaNdmCXGUP-Y/AAAABSWjUiSnQu6KGRCMm9PxHkK4oh8TbVFPS5A2CmQHBpusaBJ3stV-7_W8YNsGFF8urg9Ga_AbqwtLXz7GgR9GmXUeYD75vbBbxeY2dD4KEAWkcpSbGwe3sRnZENg1fA.jpg?r=9a0)If you look at that lineup you probably wont know who any of those people are other than "Sheldon" and if you look very closely you can spot "Spock." All of these people were apparently in a Broadway production of a play that is almost exactly like this film and while I do appreciate a good stage play, whenever they do something so restricting in a film, I tend to find it a bit of a cop out.
The dialogue is actually taken from the 1968 off-Broadway play and all of the people in the main cast starred alongside Jim Parsons in the recent Broadway revival. The dialogue is at times quite interesting but I was unaware that this film was based on a play when I started watching it but felt almost immediately as though it seemed like a play rather than a movie and it turns out I was correct.
[src](https://static.rogerebert.com/uploads/review/primary_image/reviews/the-boys-in-the-band-movie-review-2020/the-boys-in-the-band-movie-review-2020.jpg)They spend the entire film in 3 or 4 rooms and the entire things is driven by dialogue as you would expect from a stage production. The performances are pretty great by everyone involved and if you've ever met a wide array of members of the gay population, this production has basically all the types covered. From flamboyant to closeted, the entire spectrum is on display with Parson's character (named Michael) being somewhere in the middle of the spectrum.
Unfortunately for Parsons, it is impossible to not notice that he is basically "Sheldon" the entire way through this thing. I don't know if that is just how Parsons has to act or if it is because we, the audience, can't really see him as anything else. His voice inflection, his mannerisms, his air of superiority, everything about him just oozes "Sheldon" throughout the entire thing.
There are a few scenes that take place on the streets of the city, but these happen very rarely. For the most part, the entire movie takes place inside of Michael's apartment. While this simplicity might appeal to some people, I found it extremely boring. It took me 4 sittings to make it though this and by the end of it I don't really know what the underlying message was. I guess I am not smart enough to figure that out. I guess it was about feelings of some sort.
This was always going to get praised to the moon and back and that is why it is a safe released for Netflix and might be part of their apology tour after sexualizing pre-teen girls in Cuties.
No reviewer is going to pan this or even say anything terribly negative about it out of fear of being called homophobic by the online lynch mob. My disdain for this film has nothing to do with the subject matter, it has everything to do with the lack of entertainment value, which, important-lesson-in-the-material-that-I-couldn't-detect aside, is exactly what this film is: Boring.
Should I watch it?
I think it is worth a look to see Parsons try to do something other than be "Sheldon" only to be almost completely Sheldon the entire way through. Other than that the film doesn't really have much going for it and I think that most people, if they are being honest, will agree that The Boys in the Band is a snooze-fest.
