Boys Like You: The BRWC Review

21st June 2024

Boys Like You: The BRWC Review

Short films are tricky. They’re calling cards for directors and actors to show off what they can do behind the camera without a lot of resources. They’re also a tough thing to review because they either work or they don’t. Move on to the next one. Admittedly, this writer has never reviewed a short film, although he’s seen quite a bit throughout his movielife. However, one comes along and feels like it should’ve been a featured film instead. It has potential.

Written by Lindsay Bennett-Thompson and Paul Holbrook, and directed by Holbrook, Boys Like You is a slice of life, a rather small slice, but a slice nevertheless. It follows June, played by Bennett-Thompson (Greatest Days, Coronation Street), a middle-aged wife and mother who’s deeply depressed and anxious about her life. She clearly has something going on and doesn’t have an outlet to share her worry or thoughts. Her husband Martin, played by Louis Emerick (Layer Cake, Zapped), is well-meaning, but completely in the dark about her inner secrets.

After work one day, June stops by a local pub to have a drink of wine before heading home when a roughneck named Chris, played by Liam Collins (Coronation Street) joins her for a drink. She obviously doesn’t belong there and he’s more than willing to “wind her up” for being so out of place. However, a seemingly chance encounter quickly turns their lives upside down.

At just over 17 minutes in length, Holbrook conveys a wide range of emotions through his camera and staging. It’s quite impressive to see so much confidence and point-of-view in such a short period of time. Although Boys Like You isn’t Holbrook’s first short film, it appears that he’s very comfortable creating short segments rather than tackling a feature film. It would be good to see a longer version of this story. The characters feel real and alive (well played by Bennett-Thompson and Liam Collins), while the settings and relationships feel rich and in-depth. It seems very assured.

Boys Like You is a short film about what we present to the world in front of us and what we keep hidden away. Our past is a very powerful thing and the decisions we make could be the end of us and the people around us. And once those things come to light, all hell could break loose in a blaze of glory.

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