Big Boys Don’t Cry

Steve Crowhurst's 2022 British film follows the adult life of Paul, who grew up in a children's home. A police investigation into the suicide of a childhood friend brings back what he does not want to remember about those years. The film is based on real events and comes out of the director's own experience. Its strength is building the abuse inside the institution through its consequences rather than showing it directly: Paul's fragility and anger in relationships are what answer for it. Michael Socha's performance carries it. The budget is small and it is technically rough. The subject is heavy and the ending merciless. Who it's for: viewers interested in British social realist cinema and stories of trauma. Who it's not for: anyone avoiding content involving child abuse and suicide, or wanting a hopeful close.