The Wild Boys (film)

Did You Know?

• The film is set at the beginning of the 20th century on the island of La Réunion.
• The five adolescent boys commit a brutal crime and are taken by a Dutch Captain for rehabilitation on his dilapidated sailboat.
• The streaming service Mubi released the film in the United States on 14 September 2018.

Reception

Critics were largely impressed by The Wild Boys. On Rotten Tomatoes, 90% of 21 reviews are positive, with the site noting that first-time director Bertrand Mandico’s film succeeds in its ambitious scope. Metacritic gives it a score of 64 out of 100 from five critics, labeled “generally favorable reviews,” while French site AlloCiné reports an average of 3.6 out of 5 from 27 French reviews. The Guardian’s Cath Clarke described it as an “uninhibited, deeply bizarre sex-swap drama,” admitting that while some may find it self-indulgent, she was captivated by its strange, self-contained world. She praised Mandico for developing characters more thoroughly than many experimental filmmakers bother to. Andrew Todd of Birth.Movies.Death highlighted a strong erotic current throughout the film, calling it the kind that might feel dirty upon close inspection but is presented with such innocent wonder and tactile quality that viewers never stop to question it.