Giant Little Ones
A popular swimmer's friendship, sexuality, and family loyalties are thrown into turmoil when a private encounter becomes public rumor.
Overview
A poignant exploration of friendship and self-discovery during a tumultuous teenage year.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- intimate
- reflective
- tense
- reflective evening
- lgbtq film night
What critics said
Critics generally praised the film as an honest and necessary depiction of teenage sexuality and sexual identity, though its reception was favorable rather than uniformly acclaimed.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Franky must confront feelings arising from his encounter with Ballas while separating his own desires from classmates' assumptions.
Franky's longstanding bond with Ballas and his popular social circle deteriorate after rumors circulate at school.
Franky's rejection of his father Ray's relationship with Brendan parallels the homophobia he must recognize in himself.
The school, swim team, birthday party, and family scenes are presented through an intimate, grounded coming-of-age style.
Films like Giant Little Ones, and why
The Miseducation of Cameron Post
shared coming of age drama, queer identity themes, teenage social pressure, and emotionally direct treatment of sexuality
Love, Simon
shared lgbtq coming of age focus, high school social dynamics, bullying, and emerging sexual identity
Beach Rats
shared intimate adolescent drama, friendship under pressure, homophobia, and nuanced queer self-discovery
Closet Monster
shared Canadian coming of age sensibility, teenage intimacy, shifting friendship, and identity conflict
Movie Details
- Director
- Keith Behrman
- Release Date
- 2019-01-03
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (313)
Cast
- Josh Wiggins
- Darren Mann
- Taylor Hickson
- Maria Bello
- Kyle MacLachlan
- Carson MacCormac
- Olivia Scriven
- Niamh Wilson
- Hailey Kittle
- Peter Outerbridge
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Giant Little Ones about?
- A popular swimmer's friendship, sexuality, and family loyalties are thrown into turmoil when a private encounter becomes public rumor.
- What is Giant Little Ones like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Giant Little Ones as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Giant Little Ones violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Giant Little Ones.
- What did critics think of Giant Little Ones?
- Critics generally praised the film as an honest and necessary depiction of teenage sexuality and sexual identity, though its reception was favorable rather than uniformly acclaimed.
- Which films are like Giant Little Ones?
- Films with a similar feel include The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Love, Simon, Beach Rats, and Closet Monster.
- How long is Giant Little Ones?
- Giant Little Ones runs 93 minutes.
- Where can I watch Giant Little Ones?
- In United States, Giant Little Ones streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
