J. Ross 2008-10-15
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
David DeCoteau's "Beastly Boyz" is a film which puzzles and fascinates the viewer long after a viewing. It is something quite unique for non-pornographic cinema: a homo-erotic vision of the beauty of young men and the close relationship that exists between pleasure and pain. (In fact, "Beastly Boyz" is highly reminiscent of the novels of Dennis Cooper which often feature characters who literally want to get under the skin of young and attractive boys, even if it means cutting them to do so.) After his sister is violently murdered by seven boys, Travis, the leading character of "Beastly Boyz" and its narrator, can't get his sister's voice out his head as she pleads for revenge from beyond the grave. However, as Travis enacts vengeance for his sister, he seems to enjoy it far too much. The sublimely blonde and gorgeous Sebastian Gacki plays the unbalanced Travis to the extreme which is something that this film depends upon to sell its near-silent film, visually excessive style. Gacki's body is a genuine work of art, and the scene in he appears only in his shorts and tortures the equally unclad and deliciously sensuous Alan(the obviously "gifted" Dean Hrycan), who is tied from the rafters of a cabin is one of the most terrifying, yet erotic, scenes ever filmed. Travis's penchant for rubbing the blade of his knife over the skin of the boys before killing them allows us to see the repressed sexual frustration of this avenger. Indeed, the knife becomes a kind of phallic symbol in this truly delicious and disturbing tale. After seeing the near-nude Travis get into the shower with one of his victims, the perfectly sculptured Max (Neil William Hrabowy), only to end up stabbing him, the moral of this tale of torture and revenge should be clear: Supression of sexuality leads to destruction. "Beastly Boyz" is a film which is obviously not for everyone, but it certainly does have the power to move many of its target audience members. Bravo, Mr. DeCoteau! I knew that pool scene in "The Brotherhood 2" spoke of great things to come!!