Here Are The Young Men’s sweeping discussion on masculinity falls into the same trap as many of the 90s movies it initially reflects. Here Are The Young Men arrives on Digital Platforms April 30 through Signature Entertainment.
Read any modern article exploring masculinity in youth, and the word ‘toxic’ is bandied around freely. Theories of toxic masculinity and its damage to the individual, family, and broader society are now a part of the male social experience. But what is toxic masculinity? And does this singular term risk labelling all boys and young men with little thought about the impact?
Over recent years, toxic masculinity has become a catch-all for exploring male violence, sexism and misogyny. However, less explored is the ever-increasing suicide rate among men, the underserved mental health provision for boys and the spiralling effects of right-wing extremism and alienation. So, does the term toxic masculinity help inform the debate on the young male experience? Or does it build further social barriers to change? It’s an interesting question to explore when examining Here Are The Young Men.
Movies ranging from Stand By Me to The Outsiders and If… have explored the power of the male peer group and the repressed emotions many boys hold, allowing boys watching to explore their own feelings and lived experiences through the characters on screen. In studying the complexities of masculinity on film, Eoin C. Macken’s Here Are The Young Men ultimately fails to offer us anything different or meaningful.
Based on Rob Doyle’s novel, the movie’s narrative is confused, lacks nuance, and is often unbalanced in its conversations. This is a pity, given the creativity, solid performances and goldmine of ideas brought to the screen. The year is 2003, and Ireland’s economy is booming as the country rapidly changes into a Celtic tiger. Matthew (Dean Charles Chapman), Kearney (Finn Cole) and Rez (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) are bathing in the freedom that comes from the end of school, even though the ring leader, Kearney, was expelled months before the final bell rang. But the party is about to end as they witness a tragic accident on a street corner.
Macken’s movie initially takes many of its cues from a string of ’90s lad culture movies before suddenly and sharply morphing into a much deeper social drama. This transition brings the boy’s inner thoughts and emotions to life through a series of fevered visions and dreams. Here Are The Young Men could easily be labelled a conversation about toxic masculinity in early millennial youth culture, but the core narrative dives deeper as it explores class, family, and culture. In doing so, there is much to praise in Macken’s vision, but that very quality makes it all the more disappointing when the narrative unravels.
Each boy deserves more onscreen time, with many aspects of their life left hanging or unexplored. This creates two-dimensional characters that often feel underserved, despite the strong performances of Dean-Charles Chapman, Finn Cole, and Ferdia Walsh-Peelo. Unfortunately, Here Are The Young Men’s sweeping discussion of masculinity falls into the same trap as many of the ’90s movies it initially reflects. Here, behaviours and thoughts are only loosely explored, as are the social structures that ultimately surround each young man, in a film that feels hollow and far too limited in its dramatic scope.
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