Funny Boy

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2:04

Funny Boy

2020

1h 49m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

81%

Tomatometer

32 Reviews

22%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

A young Tamil boy growing up gay in Sri Lanka during the deadly Tamil-Sinhalese conflict.

Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

While the story soft-pedals the brutal violence between the Tamil and Sinhalese people, the story of a privileged Tamil teen (Brandon Ingram) finding inner peace amid a world of conflict remains touching, tender and memorable.

Rated: 2.5/4

Dec 31, 2020

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Jude Dry

indieWire

"Funny Boy" is a luminous coming-of-age tale seen through the eyes of a relatable yet entirely unique experience.

Rated: A-

Dec 12, 2020

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Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

Worst of all, it soft-sells the horror of ethnic cleansing, with a climactic neighbourhood massacre reduced to a few broken windows and some offensive chanting.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 11, 2020

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Michael Cuby

them.

Funny Boy is an electrifying coming-of-age tale.

Sep 28, 2022

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Witney Seibold

Critically Acclaimed Podcast

Curiously gentle, this queer coming of age drama is disarmingly open-hearted.

Sep 13, 2021

Full Review

Gregg Shapiro

Bay Area Reporter

The timing of the release of Funny Boy couldn't be better than at this particular moment. If people are able to overlook some of the issues... Funny Boy is still worth seeing for its various messages of understanding.

Rated: B-

Mar 4, 2021

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Sankha B

A very tone deaf, rushed, uninspired interpretation of an amazing book. I think the author and his amazing storytelling bdeserved much much more. The minimum being authentic casting. The fact that it ranked so high on the tomatoemeter brings into question the reliability of this system

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/13/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Beautifully shot and poetic, Funny Boy offers a perspective on growing up "different" in a very conservative society, The gentle approach to what amounts to emotional repression, is cleverly magnified by the politically violent backdrop of Sinhalese versus Tamil violence in Sri Lanka.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This film is so powerful, informative, and necessary. It's amazing how it never forces the viewer to hate any particular person or group; instead, it seemed to focus on the frustration and sadness that everyone went through. This is definitely worth a watch!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/11/23

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Audience Member

Incredibly touching, occasionally funny, and colorfully crafted, Funny Boy is truly a cinematic gem for those longing for intimate, honest human stories

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

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Audience Member

At it's heart, it is a beautifully simple love story, with an attention to detail that does it's story justice.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I just recently saw Deepa Mehta's latest picture Funny boy. A true and creative adaptation of Shyam Selvadurai's book. Deepa has told a story of a time, which we all read in the news, but are forgetting the damage it did to the fabric of Sri Lankan culture. Deepa's story development from start to the very end is deft and strong. The picture moves like a breeze covering several stories and characters. Douglas Koch's cinematography captures the joy and the pain beautifully. Howard Shore's music is sublime and truly works for the story being told. I think the film is a triumph and a must watch for me. Deepa Mehta take a bow #tour de force

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

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Deepa Mehta

Director

Agam Darshi

Actor

Nimmi Harasgama

Actor

Ali Kazmi

Actor

Seema Biswas

Actor

Shivantha Wijesinha

Actor

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Funny Boy: Trailer 1

2:04

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Synopsis

A young Tamil boy growing up gay in Sri Lanka during the deadly Tamil-Sinhalese conflict.

Director: Deepa Mehta
Producer: David Hamilton, Howard Shore
Production Co: Array Releasing, Hamilton-Mehta Productions
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 10, 2020
Runtime: 1h 49m