Dream Boy

2008 1h 28m EN

😐

6.1

MID

⭐

6.2

IMDB

★6.1TMDB · 128★6.2IMDB · 4,468

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The story of Nathan, a young teenager who tries to flourish in a romantic relationship with neighbour Roy. The two young men will have to face the brutal reality of the rural south of the United States in the late 1970s.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Stephan Bender
Nathan Davies
Thomas Jay Ryan
Harland Davies
Diana Scarwid
Vivian Davies
Tom Gilroy
Preacher John
Maximillian Roeg
Roy
Rooney Mara
Evelyn
Randy Wayne
Burke
Owen Beckman
Randy

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: James Bolton
Writers: James Bolton
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

88 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.2M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 18 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by James Bolton, shot by Sarah Levy. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Annette Davey shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Stephan Bender and Thomas Jay Ryan and Diana Scarwid carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0889595 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

James Bolton directs. Sarah Levy behind the camera. Annette Davey cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

188 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Shot for just $1.2M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
3Released 18 years ago.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by James Bolton, shot by Sarah Levy. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Editor Annette Davey shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Stephan Bender and Thomas Jay Ryan and Diana Scarwid carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0889595 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 16 themes, including "high school", "small town", "child abuse", "based on novel or book".

The technical file

Cinematography: Sarah Levy
Editing: Annette Davey
Runtime: 88 min · 1h 28m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $1,200,000
Original language: EN
IMDB: Dream Boy (2008)
IMDB rating: 6.2/10 · 4,468 votes
MPAA: R
US box office: $6,534

Awards

2 wins

Also by

James Bolton

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-06-10
★ 6/10
What a shame this couldn't have stuck more to the book...! "Nathan" (Stephan Bender) is a newcomer in a rural bible-belt American school where he meets and falls for "Roy" (Max Roeg) an only slightly older boy who drives the school bus. They embark on a clandestine relationship. Slowly, however, their passion becomes subsumed in issues of trust and filled with dread and fear of being caught - leading to an horrific conclusion that is done for cinematic effect; it isn't as Jim Grimsley ends the novel. The performances from the two principals is actually quite strong and endearing, though, and for a very low budget film it is a decent effort.
kinrich302026-09-08
★ 5/10
There is so much I could say, but instead I'll focus on the ending, which was brutal and violent. To be honest if I knew how it was going to end, I'm not sure I would've watched it. It was based on a book, but the book had an entirely different ending (and a much better one I believe).