The Lost Boys () is a 2023 drama film written and directed by Zeno Graton in his feature debut. The film centres on a romance between Joe (Khalil Ben Gharbia) and William (Julien de Saint Jean), two teenagers incarcerated in a youth detention center.Nick Levine, "The Lost Boys director explains why his prison romance is a 'metaphor' for life as a queer person". The Big Issue, 24 December 2023.
The ensemble cast also includes Eye Haïdara, Jonathan Couzinié, Matéo Bastien, Samuel Di Napoli, Amine Hamidou, Nlandu Lubansu, Terry Ngoga, Audrey D'Hulstère, Laurence Oltuski, David Leclercq, Noémie Van Cauwelaert, Marc-Elie Piedagnel, Marc Gallo, Aurélien Vandenbeyvanghe, Samir Asghir and Giovanni Vanhaerens in supporting roles.Phuong Le, "The Lost Boys review – passionate and political youth-prison love story". The Guardian, 11 December 2023.
The film premiered at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival.Ali Ercivan, "Berlinale 2023 review: The Lost Boys (Zeno Graton)". International Cinephile Society, 21 February 2023. It was later screened at TIFF Next Wave and the BFI London Film Festival.Kelly Townsend, "Summer With Hope among TIFF’s Next Wave lineup". Playback, 16 March 2023.Asyia Iftikhar, "London Film Festival 2023: 7 under-the-radar LGBTQ+ films to put on your watchlist". PinkNews, 4 September 2023. At the 13th Magritte Awards, The Lost Boys received six nominations, including Best Film. Best Director and Best Screenplay for Graton.
Critical reception The Lost Boys has an approval rate of 100% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 15 reviews. Alice Saville from Time Out described it as "a powerfully physical romance shaded in dreamy, intense colours." Randy Myers from The Mercury News wrote that "the leads are exceptional, and Graton's direction and pacing never slackens."
Ben Turner, writing for The Pink Lens, called it both "dark, gritty and filled with hopelessness" and "a tragic and sad coming-of-age movie that turns the genre on its head."
Accolades Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Berlin International Film Festival 26 February 2023 Crystal Bear Teddy Award Magritte Awards 9 March 2024 Best Film Best Director Zeno Graton Best Screenplay Zeno Graton and Clara Bourreau Best First Feature Film Most Promising Actor Amine Hamidou Nlandu Lubansu Molodist Film Awards 29 October 2023 Best International Film Thessaloniki Film Festival 12 November 2023 Best Film Best Screenplay Zeno Graton and Clara Bourreau
See also List of LGBTQ-related films
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