Borstal Boy
2001·Drama·1h 31m
7.0
★
Brendan Behan, a sixteen year-old IRA foot soldier, is going on a bombing mission from Ireland to Liverpool during the second world war. His mission is thwarted when he is apprehended, charged and imprisoned in Borstal, a reform institution for young offenders in East Anglia, England.
Directed by Peter Sheridan
homophobia
bullying
liverpool, england
coming of age
cross dressing
accidental death
ira (irish republican army)
based on memoir or autobiography
teenage boy
reform school
norfolk
1940s
borstal
gay theme
gay teenager
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Where to Watch
Cast
Shawn Hatosy
Brendan Behan
Danny Dyer
Charlie Milwall
Robin Laing
Jock
Ian McElhinney
Verreker
Eva Birthistle
Liz Joyce
Mark Huberman
Mac
Lee Ingleby
Dale
Ronnie Drew
Customs man
Luke Hayden
Alex
Michael York
Joyce
Mark Lambert
Chief Dixon
Eoin Slattery
James
Crew
Stephen O'Connell
Editor
Jim Sheridan
Executive Producer
Brendan Behan
Author
Stephen McKeon
Music
Norman Kelly
Stunt Double
Popular Reviews
36 reviews
na
9.0★ · 06/05/26
searching up ‘queerness in the ira’ in da bar.
the fact that i had to watch this in half a pixel quality would have ragebaited me intensely if it weren’t for the lovely accents northern english/irish/scottish/welsh accents i am your biggest fan will you accept me. really did not care for “the english also deserve love” propaganda like whay was preventing a love interest from being like welsh or something but otherwise a very touching if oftentimes corny experience. i think the dialogue needed to be stretched out a bit since a scene having the maximum of 10 lines kind of lowered my level of immersion a lot. however very funny & incredibly written i especially liked the bit where the guy when pressured to get released from jail promises to not take up arms against england for the remainder of ww2 but has the right to change his decision after i was really scared the ending lesson would be denouncing the ira i really was. also enjoyed the fanfiction-y romance a lot there is something about theatre kisses in drag that drives me crazy. i do wish it had been more explicitly revolutionary i was looking for more of like bombing the english and kissing guys on the side but the dead poets society-ish prison reform was also very enjoyable. also starting off with the “no true irish man is queer” sentiment and developing from that made me emotional i could watch a dozen of these through every ethnicity and nationality imaginable it’s so serious to me. half a star for the oscar wilde mention i started frothing from the mouth MY GOAT and honourable mention (again) to the accents i really would watch the antichrist if he had an irish accent i really think.
the fact that i had to watch this in half a pixel quality would have ragebaited me intensely if it weren’t for the lovely accents northern english/irish/scottish/welsh accents i am your biggest fan will you accept me. really did not care for “the english also deserve love” propaganda like whay was preventing a love interest from being like welsh or something but otherwise a very touching if oftentimes corny experience. i think the dialogue needed to be stretched out a bit since a scene having the maximum of 10 lines kind of lowered my level of immersion a lot. however very funny & incredibly written i especially liked the bit where the guy when pressured to get released from jail promises to not take up arms against england for the remainder of ww2 but has the right to change his decision after i was really scared the ending lesson would be denouncing the ira i really was. also enjoyed the fanfiction-y romance a lot there is something about theatre kisses in drag that drives me crazy. i do wish it had been more explicitly revolutionary i was looking for more of like bombing the english and kissing guys on the side but the dead poets society-ish prison reform was also very enjoyable. also starting off with the “no true irish man is queer” sentiment and developing from that made me emotional i could watch a dozen of these through every ethnicity and nationality imaginable it’s so serious to me. half a star for the oscar wilde mention i started frothing from the mouth MY GOAT and honourable mention (again) to the accents i really would watch the antichrist if he had an irish accent i really think.
searching up ‘queerness in the ira’ in da bar.
the fact that i had to watch this in half a pixel quality would have ragebaited me intensely if it weren’t for the lovely accents northern english/irish/scottish/welsh accents i am your biggest fan will you accept me. really did not care for “the english also deserve love” propaganda like whay was preventing a love interest from being like welsh or something but otherwise a very touching if oftentimes corny experience. i think the dialogue needed to be stretched out a bit since a scene having the maximum of 10 lines kind of lowered my level of immersion a lot. however very funny & incredibly written i especially liked the bit where the guy when pressured to get released from jail promises to not take up arms against england for the remainder of ww2 but has the right to change his decision after i was really scared the ending lesson would be denouncing the ira i really was. also enjoyed the fanfiction-y romance a lot there is something about theatre kisses in drag that drives me crazy. i do wish it had been more explicitly revolutionary i was looking for more of like bombing the english and kissing guys on the side but the dead poets society-ish prison reform was also very enjoyable. also starting off with the “no true irish man is queer” sentiment and developing from that made me emotional i could watch a dozen of these through every ethnicity and nationality imaginable it’s so serious to me. half a star for the oscar wilde mention i started frothing from the mouth MY GOAT and honourable mention (again) to the accents i really would watch the antichrist if he had an irish accent i really think.
the fact that i had to watch this in half a pixel quality would have ragebaited me intensely if it weren’t for the lovely accents northern english/irish/scottish/welsh accents i am your biggest fan will you accept me. really did not care for “the english also deserve love” propaganda like whay was preventing a love interest from being like welsh or something but otherwise a very touching if oftentimes corny experience. i think the dialogue needed to be stretched out a bit since a scene having the maximum of 10 lines kind of lowered my level of immersion a lot. however very funny & incredibly written i especially liked the bit where the guy when pressured to get released from jail promises to not take up arms against england for the remainder of ww2 but has the right to change his decision after i was really scared the ending lesson would be denouncing the ira i really was. also enjoyed the fanfiction-y romance a lot there is something about theatre kisses in drag that drives me crazy. i do wish it had been more explicitly revolutionary i was looking for more of like bombing the english and kissing guys on the side but the dead poets society-ish prison reform was also very enjoyable. also starting off with the “no true irish man is queer” sentiment and developing from that made me emotional i could watch a dozen of these through every ethnicity and nationality imaginable it’s so serious to me. half a star for the oscar wilde mention i started frothing from the mouth MY GOAT and honourable mention (again) to the accents i really would watch the antichrist if he had an irish accent i really think.
Fern
9.0★ · 05/30/26
i didnt expect it to be that good and sad
i didnt expect it to be that good and sad
soph
5.0★ · 05/23/26
writers of the pitt, please take notes and bring back shawn hatosy’s bisexuality
writers of the pitt, please take notes and bring back shawn hatosy’s bisexuality
adalyn
5.0★ · 04/26/26
i really just watched this to see bisexual shawn hatosy, but the movie was okay
i really just watched this to see bisexual shawn hatosy, but the movie was okay
bin
shawn hatosy and danny dyer kissing isnt something i thought id ever see. a crossover i never even thought to imagine. shawn hatosy can u still do this accent.
shawn hatosy and danny dyer kissing isnt something i thought id ever see. a crossover i never even thought to imagine. shawn hatosy can u still do this accent.