Giant Little Ones
2019 · Directed by Keith Behrman
Original language: English
- drama
The story
Two popular teen boys, best friends since childhood, discover their lives, families, and girlfriends dramatically upended after an unexpected incident occurs on the night of a 17th birthday party.
What it’s like
Cool, grey Canadian suburban light, the kind that sits flat over pool decks, strip-mall parking lots and kitchen tables, with a muted palette of chlorine blues, faded team colours and pale skin against bright summer swimwear. The camera stays close and observant, often handheld in tight rooms and party crowds, then settles into longer, quieter frames on faces that are trying not to show anything. Sound is mostly naturalistic: pool water, lockers, teenage chatter, the hum of a car at night, with a restrained score that comes in sparingly rather than swelling. The mood is uneasy and tender, a slow-burning ache with flashes of sharp, sudden unpleasantness. Pacing is deliberate and character-led, with long pauses between confrontations. Its intensity is moderate: bullying, slurs and homophobic harassment, some drinking and sexual content among teens, and a brief, shocking moment of physical aggression, but no gore. The emotional arc follows two boys whose friendship is tested as they confront what they feel and what their world expects of them. It suits a quiet evening alone, and is best for viewers who want a raw, honest coming-of-age drama about identity, loyalty and fear rather than something gentle.
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