Movie Review: Ryan Murphy’s latest contribution to Netflix brings “The Boys in the Band” from the Broadway stage to our home

When in 1968 “The Boys in the Band” first hit the Off-Broadway stage, it roused such feeling of discomfort in viewers – both LGBTQ and heterosexual – that it potentially contributed to the Stonewall riots in 1969 and the Gay Liberation movements of the 70s. The impact of this provocative story is still powerful today, in its on-screen rendition, recently released on Netflix.

“The Boys in the Band” is centered around a group of gay men who meet on a warm July night in 1968, to celebrate their friend Harold’s birthday in a Greenwich Village, Manhattan, apartment. The events at the gathering take on a different turn as an unexpected guest arrives. Alcohol heightens temperaments, rain interrupts the opening joviality and gradually, as they get caught up in a daring game, the characters’ personalities and secrets are forcefully unveiled.

Mart Crowley wrote the original play to reflect the anger he felt towards himself (as a gay man) and society, for the passiveness and disapproval with which they treated individuals with different sexual orientations. The team put together for the Broadway revival by Ryan Murphy proved a success already in 2019 when they won a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. The same team was preserved from Broadway to home TVs and laptop screens - with Joe Mantello’s as Director and a cast that includes: Matt Bomer, Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Andrew Rannells, Michael Benjamin Washington, Brian Hutchison, Robin de Jesús, Tuc Watkins and Charlie Carver.

The Netflix-produced adaptation, part of Ryan Murphy’s multi-million-dollar deal with the streaming provider, is the perfect culmination of the late 60s play, which saw a number of revivals, including a 1970s Hollywood version directed by William Friedkin. This online streamable version, allows the plot to unfold in front of a broader international audience. It faithfully maintains the play’s essence while fast-forwarding to a world where it has already become acceptable to openly reveal one’s sexual orientation, setting it in a contemporary context.   

The set and costume design convey a vintage feeling through the faded colors, patterned fabrics, and wide-legged, high-waisted trousers. Characters are introduced in quick life clips in the first five minutes, leading up to the event. It settles into Michael’s (Parson) cluttered house – the party’s setting and where the whole story unfolds. A discolored poster from the Bal des Petits Lits Blancs event organized by the French “L'Intransigeant” newspaper hangs on the wall, a vintage possession from at least 30 years earlier, hinting at the host’s obstinate conservative beliefs and inner conflict.

In the melancholy 2020 version, Mantello brilliantly uses irony to portray a different time that doesn’t seem so different from the world we live in today. The characters are archetypal representations of singular individuals who approach their sexuality in different ways: from the extravagant and immature Emory to the introverted librarian Bernard in love with his childhood crush, Donald the self-doubting heir of a wealthy family, the monogamous and somber Hank who was married to a woman and now fell in love and lives with the libertine artist Larry, and the dimwitted male prostitute ‘Cowboy’.

Center stage is taken by Michael and his relationships with both Alan, a long-lost straight college friend that appears unexpectedly and who he believes is gay, and Harold, the bitter birthday boy and old friend who at the same time seems equally on the edge and serene with a blasé attitude and enchanting vocabulary. Alan’s arrival removes the coating of sophistication and nonchalance that Michael likes to wear nearly as much as his Hermès neck scarves, revealing the hatred he feels towards himself as an aging gay man. Harold intensifies the distress by spending the night exchanging belittling snarky comments with Michael until someone says too much. Parson’s and Quinto’s performances are outstanding displays of complex character developments that reveal themselves before the audience.  

The story’s dark comedic plot, with initially vague character developments, evolving personalities, unanticipated guests, and a birthday party ending with a nasty game, seemingly alludes to Harold Pinter’s 1952 play “The Birthday Party”. The two plays effectively twist and transform a commonly festive occasion into an absurd and unpleasant event. It is this absurdity of some scenes – such as the ominously half-eaten birthday cake forgotten out in the rain – and the burlesque historical representation that allows the movie to effectively be both set in the past and in the present, conveying a sense of timelessness to the characters and the events.

Netflix’s “The Boys in the Band” is definitely a satisfying watch, an excellent revival of an elaborate story, that will require your full attention to be truly appreciated.