Start off Pride month with a moving coming-of-age queer show, ‘One of the Boys,’ which is about two young boys who join a “man camp,” only to embark on a complicated exploration of masculinity, sexuality and queerness.
The Danish miniseries’ synopsis reads:
“The socially awkward Lau goes on the traditional Man Camp with the provincial town boys to prove that he’s a “real man”. But, things get tricky when he develops feelings for another boy on the trip.”
Lau, who is portrayed by Jonathan Meinert Pedersen, is intrigued by Jacob Spang Olsen’s Aksel, who is a new kid in their so-called “mancation.” Lau’s curiosity over the new boy with blond hair eventually grows into something more as the two develop feelings for each other.
Expressing their true selves is a struggle though, as they are in a summer camp dedicated to prove one’s manliness. Not to mention, they are surrounded with peers who idolizes hyper-masculinity.
Moreover, ‘One of the Boys’ is described as:
“A coming-of-age miniseries that works with themes such as sexuality, masculinity, bullying, queerness and not least – feeling different. It’s a sensitive, funny, heart breaking and poetic glimpse of a small, hyper masculine provincial town in Denmark as one boy feels pressure to fit in with other boys, while struggling with his romantic feelings for a charming new boy.”
The four-part series was created and directed by Teys Schucany, who also co-wrote the story alongside co-writer Frederik Rye Nielsen. ‘One of the Boys’ is set to premiere in the U.S. exclusively on the streaming service Viaplay on June 8.
In the meantime, you can watch the official trailer here:
Sources: mubi.com, queerty.com
This reminds me of the plot to the gay movie Summer Storm.