From first crushes to first erections – Big Boys creator Corey Sherman on his gay coming-of-age film as it hits cinemas (EXCLUSIVE)

The gay coming-of-age film Big Boys is out in UK cinemas today (29 August). The heartfelt film follows teenager Jamie on a weekend camping trip which sparks unexpected crushes, self-discovery and erections. Inspired by his own experiences growing up, including a thing for bears and being a bigger child himself, writer-director Corey Sherman hopes the film encourages children like Jamie to be confident in their own skin, whether that is sexuality, body image or who they fancy.

Packed with hilarious moments, including camping shower cruising thoughts, erection mishaps and hairy chests, the film blends comedy with authenticity. Behind all the laughs is a tender story of a young man coming to terms with his sexuality, who is pure at heart. The film features performances from Isaac Krasner as Jamie, David Johnson III as Dan and Taj Cross as Jamie’s brother.

Director Corey spoke exclusively to Attitude to talk about bringing this tender, feel-good story of identity and body image to the big screen.

What inspired you to write Big Boys?

It was really inspired by a lot of experiences I had growing up that felt very private. I wanted to make a movie that put all that stuff out in the open. And that had to do with desire for men I couldn’t have: straight friends, older guys, teachers. I would run into these feelings of desire that couldn’t go anywhere.

And I wanted to make a movie about that experience, to show that it’s a worthwhile and transformative one. Just because it doesn’t match up with what you see your peers having, or in movies where straight characters come together, doesn’t mean it isn’t valid.

This sort of queer coming-to-terms, facing unrequited love, internalised homophobia, these things that can feel scary and lonely are actually common experiences and worthy of their own story.

How did your childhood combine sexuality and body image?

As soon as I knew I was gay, I knew I was attracted to big guys. Luckily, I was coming out to myself at a time when I had the internet, so I could look up what that was. I found out about bears, and this whole world waiting for me. That was really exciting and validating because it made me feel less alone in my taste.

In terms of body image, yeah, I was chubby – I still am. I felt worse about it as a kid. But seeing that there was this world of guys who appreciated that made me feel better about myself. It helped me feel more comfortable in my own body and more willing to celebrate it.

I wanted to make a movie that, in subtle ways, is about not just coming into your sexuality but also learning to appreciate your own body, reducing shame. Because the story is about a chubby kid with a crush on a chubby older guy who has a lot of confidence in his body and moves with ease. Jamie sees that and thinks, “Oh, I can feel the same way about my own body.”

Jamie’s crush on Dan drives the story of the film. What was important to you in developing their dynamic?

What was really important was the sense that Jamie perceives Dan as this masculine ideal. Dan’s really into sports, he’s capable with camping, whilst Jamie is big, chubby but also muscular. And he’s straight, which is a big thing for Jamie. I think Jamie’s still at an age where he feels the power of that, the way heteronormative culture tells you that the straight man is the ideal you should look up to.

So Dan has a lot of power over Jamie. At first, Jamie feels threatened by it, but then he starts to warm up, realising maybe Dan has another side – warmer, softer, more interested in him as a person. That gives Jamie room to open up, show his true colours, and the more Dan appreciates that, the safer Jamie feels.

It becomes like, “Oh, this guy’s a big brother, a cool camp counsellor, my buddy, my best friend.” But when Jamie lets himself go there, that’s when the romantic and sexual feelings start creeping in. And that’s scary, because he’s afraid of being gay. He’s only been told his whole life that being gay is bad.

So I wanted Dan to be the one who sort of unlocks all these things in Jamie, forcing Jamie to deal with them himself – and eventually bring them out into the world when he’s ready.

How did you balance the film’s humour with the more poignant moments of identity and attraction?

(Speaking about the moment where Jamie gets an erection in the film.)

Yeah, that was actually funny to watch with audiences because I never thought it would play that way. People laughed, but it was more out of the discomfort of the moment, which I completely understand. It was interesting and informed how the movie plays for people.

For the most part, I tried to take attraction very seriously, Jamie’s infatuation and desire. But the humour comes from Jamie’s 14-year-old, clumsy, performative, oblivious way of pursuing that attraction. Anyone can identify with that fumbling, unsure of how to talk to the person you love. That added a necessary lightness to the movie.

Can you describe Jamie in three words?

Precocious, self-conscious and loving.

The film is mainly set at a campsite. Why choose that environment?

Being at a campsite is very exposed. Sharing a tent with your brother, there are all these families nearby. He was in a very classic, Americana, kind of like summer camp like Boy Scouts – I wanted to evoke all of that. I like the idea of him going through a very queer experience internally, while he’ surrounded by all this stuff that is pushing him in a more stereotypically heteronormative direction.

There are people around – so it’s sort of inherently embarrassing. 
There are moments in the movie where he is out in the woods, he can actually get this privacy. He’s pulled away from his normal day to day life with his mom and his friends at school, where now he can actually feel safe to start to explore these other parts of himself.

How do you think body image is perceived in the LGBTQ+ community, specifically amongst gay men?

My experience has been quite positive because I jumped right into the Bear world, which is very body-positive. Even there, you notice some hierarchy, but overall, the community embraces a variety of bodies.

What message about body image and self-acceptance did you want to convey through Big Boys?

That there is a way to really move through the world with more confidence in your body. So anybody who watches that movie and can relate to that, I would just want them to feel sort of encouraged by the journey they see Jamie go through. And if they’re not on the other side of it themselves, maybe it could inch them along in that direction or show them that it is possible to feel that way about yourself.

The character of Dan – does he particularly mimic someone from your past or life?

Sort of an amalgamation of, like, different guys who I was attracted to but who were unavailable to me, yeah, in one way or another. And I think that, like, in a lot of ways, this movie was sort of like making peace with that experience, because at the time it was really frustrating.

What drew you to cast Isaac as Jamie?

He was the first self-tape we watched. From the start… he understood Jamie’s sensitivity and eagerness to please, and he had a sophisticated sense of humour. He could play jokes clearly but subtly. He makes you fall in love with him and invites you into his inner life in a captivating way. It was obvious he could carry the movie.

Was there a particular interaction with Isaac that stuck with you?

There’s a scene where Jamie is trying to talk to Dan, but Dan is in the tent with his girlfriend. And Jamie is jus standing outside having a chat and being chummy with Dan, but it’s clear that Dan wants him to go away so he can continue making out. It was just a moment where I felt we were especially in sync with each other in terms of how to make this scene work. It was a really simple scene, but his powerhouse performance made it so funny, and you just felt all this anxiety bleeding off of him.

It was a thrill to watch, and it was also a very encouraging moment in terms of he’s making my dream of this movie become a reality before my eyes.

Was there a line you particularly enjoyed writing?

One moment I liked was when Jamie and his cousin Allie are playing gin rummy, and Dan teases it as an old folks’ game. Jamie replies, “No, it’s an all-ages game.” I was proud of that.

Were there any behind-the-scenes moments you particularly enjoyed?

The scene where Jamie is playing Taboo with his family and gets up dancing by the campfire. That was a scene that just felt so loose and spontaneous – 
It was all improvised. The camera work was improvised, Jamie’s dancing was, and you could just feel this sort of electricity within the crew, cheering him on from behind the camera and dancing themselves.

There’s a small visual growth moment with Jamie, when he takes his top off for the last swim with his brother. Can you talk about that?

I was trying to find subtle, little ways to show growth. Or just where a character’s head is at. It’s only a weekend. You can only really get so far in terms of totally transforming your body or your body image. But I like the idea of a small thing like that being a step forward for Jamie

Can you tell me a bit about Jamie’s brother and his storyline?

Will is sort of like an amalgamation of bullies I’ve known. A sort of bullying mentality. Will, as a character, had to represent the whole peer experience. That was tricky because he both has to feel like a real person, which Taj Cross, who plays him, does beautifully; you really believe him. At the same time, he has to embody a very homophobic, bro-y, heteronormative mentality and show the effect that has on Jamie, the kind of emotional shackles it puts on him.

Who is this film for, viewer-wise?

Anybody who can relate to what Jamie is going through, whether it’s something deep in the past or something they’re experiencing right now. The movie is meant to feel almost like a companion in that experience. I would hope that anyone watching, gay or straight, would feel comforted by it and see it as a safe space to have a cathartic experience, confronting parts of their adolescence they might have avoided because it’s painful.

If you could give Jamie a message directly, what would it be?

Just hold on. They’re going to love you. The desire you feel now isn’t permanent; there will be men you can love who will love you back. It’s going to happen, it’s just a matter of patience.

There’s nothing for you to be ashamed of, and you don’t need to compare yourself to the other guys you see around you, no matter how much you feel like you should. You, just as you are, are completely worth it.

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Icon Film Distribution presents Big Boys out now in selected cinemas. Own it on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital from 13th October.