Director: Corey Sherman
Writer: Corey Sherman
Stars: Isaac Krasner, Dora Madison, David Johnson III
Synopsis: A teenage boy’s unexpected crush turns a camping trip into a weekend of self-discovery in this heartwarming coming-of-age comedy.
Coming-of-age stories have been a staple in indie cinema since its inception, bringing audiences into relatable firsthand experiences or spotlighting lives not personally experienced. These stories allow filmmakers to tell intimate stories recanting their own lives or new original ideas. When those who tell these stories allow us into their most embarrassing or formative moments, we learn new perspectives, making the world feel smaller than it is. Big Boys tells an all-too-relatable story about accepting yourself for who you are, quirks and all.
There’s much to enjoy from this queer-centered debut from Director Corey Sherman. A lovable lead, mortifying moments in front of a crush, and an idyllic summer trip away from home. Centering around the life of fourteen-year-old Jaime (Isaac Krasner) as he prepares for a weekend camping trip with his brother Will (Taj Cross), his cousin Allie (Dora Madison), and surprise guest, with her boyfriend Dan (David Johnson III). Sherman tells a unique narrative within Big Boys about a queer teen navigating through life with those who he is closest to.
Audiences first meet Jaime as he’s packing in his room, cluttered as any teen’s space is, with assorted junk piles under the bed and an unkempt bed stacked with supplies for the coming trip. Double, triple, and quadruple checking his list to make sure no item is forgotten, it’s quickly established that Jaime, although he has many moments of emotional immaturity, is much more mature than teens his age. This is made alarmingly apparent when Jaime’s older brother Will enters his room unannounced, poking fun at his younger brother and his detailed prep work for their trip, a common theme throughout Big Boys.
Sherman establishes early on that Jaime has a close relationship with his family, and when he finds out that his cousin Allie has invited her boyfriend Dan to their cousin’s trip he’s agitated. The day of the trip arrives and Jaime meets Dan for the first time, Jaime, from the moment he lays his eyes on Dan, has found his type. Dan is easy on the eyes, and as cliché as the description of tall, dark, and handsome can be. And in true awkward fashion, Jaime makes an ill-timed, yet hilariously dry bear-eating camper comment that those in the room giggle off. But from this moment Big Boys has Jaime experiencing everyone’s most formative teenage moment… their first crush. It just so happens that his first crush is his cousin’s burly boyfriend.
The majority of Big Boys takes place at a campsite over the course of a weekend, and from the moment the group arrives, Jaime makes it his mission to impress Dan. Grabbing kindling for a fire, carrying heavy coolers, or flexing his culinary skills by showcasing his secret stash of spices he brought along. We learn who Jaime is as he explores these new feelings. Setting the film in such a centralized location allows it to feel deeply intimate; when Jaime retreats to his tent after an embarrassing moment, it feels like we are closed in there with him, reliving those times when we were too vulnerable with our crushes. There’s a closeness with this family, but also their proximity to each other often leads to Jaime never truly being alone with his thoughts.
Jaime, as a character, is endearing; it’s easy to see yourself as him, and it’s refreshing to see a lead that takes up space, both in a personality sense and a physical sense. Jaime, who towers over his older brother Will, has bright hair compared to his brother’s dark hair; they couldn’t be more different. Will is more concerned with hooking up with random girls he meets and scoring drugs, compared to Jaime, who expresses that when he is ready to go all the way with someone, it’s going to be with someone he cares about and writes in a journal the reasons why he could or couldn’t be gay. Their relationship isn’t perfect and is often a point of conflict; Dan teaches Jaime that he needs to stick up for himself, a lesson that Jaime cherishes.
As Big Boys progresses and the trip nears its end, Jaime and Dan have bonded over just about anything that could be imagined; from burger seasonings to Alicia Keys. They share a final awkward situation out in the woods when they get lost on a trail, and Dan has to take his shirt off to make a bandage for Jaime’s wound. Sherman closes the film out by letting Jaime express his identity using their final moment in the woods, facing his queerness and not shying away from it. For Jaime’s character, it feels like the most natural ending, as someone who has shown incredible maturity from the start of the film. Knowing his feelings were real even when some of his closest family were pushing him in another direction.
Visually, the film radiates summertime from the first frame to the last, thanks to the cinematography by Gus Bendinelli and costuming by Laiken Landry and Karla Garcia. The look and feel of coming-of-age stories are just as important as their story; they help transport us to this sliver of time. Bendinelli captures the glittering of the lake water as Jaime pokes his head above the surface, or the beams of luminosity peeking through the breaks of leaves as he rests on a boulder. Paired with the costuming of Landry and Garcia, Jaime’s personality can be seen almost exclusively through visuals. Emerging from the lake to spit game with his older brother while pulling a wet shirt that is clinging to his body, or wearing his baseball cap backward to match his new crush, Dan.
Overall, Big Boys finds its stride with exploring the relatable growing pains of its lovable lead Jaime, with a queer twist. The film is overflowing with chemistry between its small cast with plenty of moments of heartfelt sincerity to be felt. Sherman finds himself nominated for the John Cassavetes Award, along with Krasner receiving a nomination for Best Breakthrough Performance for the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards. A film that reminds us of the importance of queer stories and their ability to make us empathize.
