Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- glamorous
- melancholic
- sensual
- pride month
- queer cinema night
What critics said
Critics found the film emotionally honest and increasingly affecting despite a slow opening and dated stylistic presentation.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Frank arrives in Amsterdam after leaving school and enters the House of Boys while discovering desire, intimacy, and belonging.
Frank and Jake’s relationship develops as the so-called gay cancer transforms love into a confrontation with illness and mortality.
The House of Boys brothel and cabaret world is presented through colorful music, dancing, theatrical costumes, and nightlife spectacle.
Madame and the eclectic House of Boys community welcome Frank and become his primary circle of support.
Films like House of Boys, and why
The Last of Us
lgbtq+ coming-of-age romance shaped by music, sexual awakening, and the AIDS crisis
And the Band Played On
emotionally direct gay romance confronting AIDS-era fear and loss
Pride
1980s-set queer drama balancing youthful desire with illness and mortality
Movie Details
- Director
- Jean-Claude Schlim
- Release Date
- 2009-11-20
- Runtime
- 120 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (46)
Cast
- Layke Anderson
- Benn Northover
- Udo Kier
- Stephen Fry
- Steven Webb
- Chris McHallem
- Vicky Krieps
- Harry Ferrier
- Michael Kühl
- Gintarė Parulytė
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is House of Boys about?
- A young gay man finds erotic freedom and transformative love in Amsterdam’s cabaret underworld just as the AIDS crisis darkens his new life.
- What is House of Boys like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of House of Boys as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is House of Boys violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in House of Boys as mild.
- What did critics think of House of Boys?
- Critics found the film emotionally honest and increasingly affecting despite a slow opening and dated stylistic presentation.
- Which films are like House of Boys?
- Films with a similar feel include The Last of Us, And the Band Played On, and Pride.
- How long is House of Boys?
- House of Boys runs 120 minutes.
- Where can I watch House of Boys?
- In United States, House of Boys streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
