‘Big Boys’ Trailer: Corey Sherman’s Queer Coming-of-Age Comedy Tackles Teen Body Shaming
Samantha Bergeson
Writer/director/producer Corey Sherman helmed an ode to his own coming-of-age and coming out story, while honoring both his “big” feelings and physicality.
Sherman’s indie comedy “Big Boys” centers on teenage boy Jamie’s (Isaac Krasner) unexpected crush during a camping trip. While Jamie is elated to spend time with his cousin (Dora Madison), he really only has eyes for her boyfriend and fellow “big boy” Dan (David Johnson III).
Emily Deschanel, Taj Cross, Marion Van Cuyck, Emma Broz, and Jack De Sanz co-star.
Sherman writes, directs, and edits, as well as serves as a producer alongside Allison Tate.
“We made a film about a young man’s unrequited crush to shed light on this extremely common, yet under-examined aspect of queer life,” Sherman said in a press statement. “In most romantic stories, the object of the protagonist’s love eventually returns their affection. However, for many queer people like myself, growing up was full of unrequited crushes on straight or closeted peers. Yearning for someone we couldn’t have was frustrating enough, but not seeing any exploration of that experience in the media made it feel like a lonely failure. However, these experiences are extremely common and can be profoundly impactful. We figure out how to make peace with not getting everything we want. We learn to put ourselves out there and be honest even in the face of imminent rejection.”
Sherman shared his own experience feeling pressured to conform to a certain kind of masculinity.
“Despite increasing acceptance of queer and trans people, there are still a lot of harmful concepts of masculinity that warp men’s senses of self,” Sherman said. “I want to encourage viewers who are insecure about their gender expression to expand their idea of what it means to be a man and celebrate themselves as they truly are. We also wanted to showcase the experience of a chubby teen going through this life-altering experience and allow him to be a fully-developed, nuanced character instead of a stereotype.”
“Big Boys” had its world premiere at the 2023 BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, and went on to have its U.S. premiere at OutFest, where it took home the Audience Award and honored actor Krasner with the Outstanding Performance accolade. The film has also screened at Frameline, Palm Springs International Film Festival, and is slated for screenings at TIFF Next Wave, Cleveland International Film Festival, and Milwaukee Film Festival.
“Big Boys” premieres in theaters May 31 and will be on digital and on demand June 11. Check out the trailer below.
