Watch Boy Interrupted

Boy Interrupted is a powerful and heartbreaking documentary film from 2009 that explores the life and suicide of a young boy named Evan Perry. The film is directed by Evan's parents, Dana Heinz Perry and Hart Perry, who use their intimate knowledge of their son and their own filmmaking skills to create a deeply personal portrait of a troubled boy who was loved and lost.

The film begins with home video footage of Evan as a young child, smiling and laughing with his parents and siblings. With a charming and precocious personality, Evan seems like any other happy and healthy kid. But as he grows older, his behavior becomes increasingly erratic and troubling. He has trouble sleeping, struggles with anxiety and depression, and becomes fixated on death and suicide. His parents try everything they can think of to help him, taking him to numerous doctors and therapists, but nothing seems to work.

As Evan gets older, his condition worsens. He becomes addicted to prescription drugs and alcohol, and his behavior becomes increasingly dangerous and self-destructive. Despite his parents' best efforts to help him, Evan spirals out of control, and eventually takes his own life at the age of 15.

Through a combination of home videos, interviews with Evan's family and friends, and footage shot after his death, Boy Interrupted paints a devastating portrait of a young boy who was plagued by mental illness and ultimately lost his battle with it. The film is both an intimate look at Evan's life and a broader exploration of the challenges facing families with mentally ill children.

One of the most striking things about Boy Interrupted is the raw honesty with which Evan's parents present their story. They don't shy away from the difficult and painful moments, and they are willing to share even the most personal details of their family's struggles. This gives the film a level of emotional intensity that is rare in documentaries, and makes it a deeply moving and touching tribute to their son.

Another strength of the film is its use of home video footage. By including clips of Evan at various stages of his life, the filmmakers are able to show us the happy and healthy child he once was, and help us understand just how much he changed as his illness progressed. These clips are often juxtaposed with interviews and footage shot later in Evan's life, which helps to emphasize just how much he was struggling.

The film also includes interviews with Evan's friends and family, who provide valuable insight into his personality and struggles. We learn that Evan was a creative and intelligent boy, who loved to write and draw. We also learn that he was deeply affected by the death of his grandfather, and that his own struggles with mental illness began soon after. These interviews help to give us a more complete picture of Evan as a person, and help us understand just how much he was loved and missed.

Perhaps the most powerful aspect of Boy Interrupted is its unflinching portrayal of the impact of mental illness on families. We see how Evan's struggles affected not only him, but also his parents and siblings. We see how they tried their best to help him, but were ultimately powerless to prevent his death. And we see how they continue to struggle with their loss, even years later.

Overall, Boy Interrupted is a powerful and deeply affecting documentary that offers a rare glimpse into the world of mental illness and suicide. It is a must-see for anyone who has been affected by these issues, and a poignant tribute to a young boy who was loved and lost.

Boy Interrupted is a 2009 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 32 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.8.