Each of these friends represents the different ways of assuming sexual identity. “The Boys in the Band” is one of the first films to portray homosexuality without resorting to “moral punishments” such as death, prison or medical “correction” of its characters.
The story takes place in a Manhattan apartment, at a birthday party. What begins as a simple meeting between friends soon, and thanks to the intervention of alcohol, becomes a space where truths, insecurities and personal tensions come to the surface.
Each of these friends represents the different ways of assuming sexual identity and the prejudices of the 70s (the time in which it was released); from a couple going through a fidelity crisis and a young African-American man who represents double marginalization to a scort.
Directed by William Friedkin, and based on the production of the same name, the film is a watershed moment for LGBT+ stories on the big screen. An extra fact is that none of the protagonists were part of Hollywood because at that time the big studios punished sexual diversity, so the same actors from the play were called.
Although the plot does not lead its characters to fatality, in real life five of the actors died from AIDS-related illnesses.
Where to see: Apple TV/Prime Video
