critics consensus

Thoughtful, unpredictable, and overall gripping, Eastern Boys fills its sprawling running time with compelling themes and sharply drawn characters brought to life by powerful performances and deft direction. Read critic reviews

Rent/buy from $3.99

Rent/buy

Rate And Review

Super Reviewer

Rate this movie

Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

Awesome!

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

What did you think of the movie? (optional)
You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.
Super Reviewer
Step 2 of 2

How did you buy your ticket?

Let's get your review verified.
Fandango

AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

Enter your Ticket Confirmation# located in your email.More Info

Cinemark Coming Soon

We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

Regal Coming Soon

We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

Theater box office or somewhere else
By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.
You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.
Super Reviewer

Rate this movie

Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

Awesome!

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

What did you think of the movie? (optional)
How did you buy your ticket?
- Fandango
- AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew
  
  Enter your Ticket Confirmation# located in your email.More Info
- Cinemark Coming Soon
  
  We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.
- Regal Coming Soon
  
  We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.
- Theater box office or somewhere else
By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.
You haven’t finished your review yet, want to submit as-is?

You can always edit your review after.
Are you sure?

Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers.
Want to submit changes to your review before closing?

Eastern Boys Photos

View All Photos (22)

Movie Info

A middle-aged Frenchman solicits a younger foreigner and has no idea his life is going to change.

Genre:

gay & lesbian, drama
Original Language:

French (Canada)
Director:

Robin Campillo
Producer:

Hugues Charbonneau, Marie-Ange Luciani
Writer:

Robin Campillo, Robin Campillo
Release Date (Streaming):

Mar 17, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA):

$16.2K
Runtime:

2h 8m

Cast & Crew

Olivier Rabourdin
Daniel

Edéa Darcque
Chelsea

Kirill Emel'yanov
Marek , Paul

Daniil Vorobyov
Boss

Camila Chakirova
Camila

Beka Markozashvili
Petit Marek

Show all Cast & Crew

News & Interviews for Eastern Boys

Critics Consensus: Focus is Sleek and Slick But Too Twisty

View All

Critic Reviews for Eastern Boys

All Critics (37) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (33) | Rotten (4)

This is a tough, important film, and one that wields ambivalence like a cudgel.

August 25, 2018 | Full Review…

Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
The Blue Lenses
Writer-director-editor Robin Campillo has crafted an unruly yet pointed drama that should intrigue patient viewers.

April 30, 2015 | Full Review…

Gary Goldstein
Los Angeles Times
The movie argues that these teens' lawless, selfish mentality is a by-product of having grown up in war-stricken countries such as Chechnya, where they lived through horrors that permanently skewed their moral compasses.

April 2, 2015 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

Rene Rodriguez
Miami Herald
Both surprisingly resonant, and something of a thrill-ride.

February 27, 2015 | Full Review…

Bob Mondello
NPR
[Campillo] leaves us, at the end, in an appropriately ambiguous place.

February 27, 2015 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Philippa Hawker
The Age (Australia)
Explores interlocking themes of sexuality, immigration and power dynamics with a cleareyed sensitivity and refuses to demonize even its shadiest characters.

February 26, 2015 | Full Review…

Stephen Holden
New York Times
How this all sorts itself out is a nail-biting treat...

June 16, 2020 | Full Review…

David Lamble
Bay Area Reporter
Eastern Boys cleanly escapes any accusation of blandness. An emotional uppercut of a film, Campillo's latest is one which may take several days to fully recover from.

April 3, 2019 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Maryann O'Connor
CineVue
Wholly unsatisfying, interminable in length with marginal acting, at best, there is little but the opening 15 minutes and the mesmerizing Daniil Vorobov to recommend this film.

September 15, 2017 | Full Review…

Neely Swanson
Easy Reader (California)
The film tackles solidarity and solitude, economic class, language and lingering ages -- managing to remain engaging throughout most of its two hours-plus running time.

July 18, 2015 | Full Review…

John Esther
UR Chicago Magazine
Dour, dark sexual drama about a rich, middle-aged French pervert (Olivier Rabourdin) who arranges for a rent boy to turn up to his plush apartment only to find his plans going awry.

March 8, 2015 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

Jim Schembri
3AW
[An] ambitious and often arresting French drama.

March 6, 2015 | Rating: 4.5/5 | Full Review…

Craig Mathieson
The Sunday Age