# The Boys in the Band (1970)

> At a Manhattan birthday party, a circle of gay friends turns wit, alcohol, and a cruel confession game into a raw reckoning with loneliness and self-loathing.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/movie/21473

## Facts

- Runtime: 120 min
- Genres: Drama
- Director: William Friedkin
- Cast: Kenneth Nelson, Leonard Frey, Peter White, Cliff Gorman, Frederick Combs, Reuben Greene, Laurence Luckinbill, Keith Prentice
- TMDB rating: 7.0/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065488/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: none
- Mood: caustic, witty, claustrophobic, theater adaptation night, lgbtq cinema night

## Synopsis

A birthday party spirals into chaos as friends confront their deepest insecurities and desires.

## Movies like The Boys in the Band

- [Opening Night (1977)](https://ember.film/movie/21081)
- [Peter Hujar's Day (2025)](https://ember.film/movie/1145830)
- [The Boys in the Band (2020)](https://ember.film/movie/418467)
- [Longtime Companion (1989)](https://ember.film/movie/25309)
- [Husbands (1970)](https://ember.film/movie/35300)
- [Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971)](https://ember.film/movie/30436)
- [Boy Culture (2006)](https://ember.film/movie/9430)
- [Midnight Cowboy (1969)](https://ember.film/movie/2065)
- [Jeffrey (1995)](https://ember.film/movie/10488)
- [Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977)](https://ember.film/movie/23658)

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