One of the Boys (review) – a summer camp of revelations, hidden desire and uncertain love

One of the Boys (En af drengene) premieres on Viaplay on August 3.

Long before any young person comes out, there is a process of self-acceptance. This process can be long, hard and scary as a young person explores their feelings and emotions while trying to keep them hidden from public view. Straight kids never go through this, and many heterosexual adults don’t understand how difficult it can be to find yourself and your sexuality in a world that assumes you are straight. I remember this period well, as relatives asked me about the girls I liked at school, and friends talked about ‘hot’ female celebrities, assuming I agreed with their hormonal analysis. Inside, I wanted to scream and let out that I liked Michael J. Fox much more than Kelly LeBrock, but the fear of alienation and bullying kept me silent for many years while I worked things out in my head. Teys Schucany’s beautiful short-form series, One of the Boys, understands this period of self-reflection, fear, longing and hidden desire as he reflects on his own youth growing up in a small Danish town.

Over four short episodes, Schucany explores hypermasculinity, internal conflict, friendship and bullying as we follow Lau (Jonathan Meinert Pedersen) as he attends a summer camp for boys. The camp aims to make men out of teenage boys through activities of physical prowess, teamwork and orienteering. But for Lau, the camp also highlights his hidden feelings of difference and disconnect. But it’s also where he meets a new boy who has recently moved from Copenhagen, Aksel (Jacob Spang Olsen). Aksel is different from the other boys and doesn’t want to be there any more than Lau, but does he share the same secret?

One of the Boys is a stunning exploration of one boy’s journey to self-acceptance in an ocean of hypermasculine pressures. With outstanding performances from its young cast and beautiful cinematography, Schucany has crafted a remarkable short-form drama that speaks directly to all those LGBTQ+ young people attempting to define their feelings, emotions and place in a heterosexual world that can often feel scary and alien to their needs.