Boy A is a British drama produced by Lynn Horsford and directed by John Crowley

There are some terrific scenes in the drama which really appeal to me and make me like the film. A scene which I truly enjoyed and sticks in my mind is when Jack saves a little girl from a car crash, this is because we are shown another side to him, which makes us distinguish whether Jack is still the nasty murderer he was when he was little. Also the scene suggests that he’s completed some sort of redemption and that Jack has paid for what he did and learnt from his mistakes and his time in prison.

A scene which I wasn’t keen on was the dream sequence. This scene was the ending of the film and it was the ending of Jack’s life, which ties in perfectly. However, the dream sequence wasn’t the ending I was hoping, it rather disappointed me because it wasn’t realistic and didn’t suit the genre drama. It showed Jack dreaming of Michelle saying goodbye to him which didn’t suit the genre drama, this is because the genre drama is meant to be a matter-of-fact and leave a big emotional impression. Boy A’s ending wasn’t realistic, however left us with a big affecting feeling as the last bit we saw was Jack committing suicide by jumping into the sea.

The ending of Boy A was very touching. A big emotional ending is a requirement of a drama. The use of the technique is essential and builds up so much tension and leaves the audience feeling moved and affected. Another technique used in Boy A is the use of extreme close ups, this technique was used a lot during the drama because they wanted to show Jack’s feelings and facial expressions. It allows the audience to feel what Jack is feeling, and gives a sense of realism. It also allows the audience to bond with Jack and decide whether they like him as a character. Additionally, the use of sound is used vividly in high impacted scenes. The use of dramatic and sad music makes the scene

feel more emotional and real. It also touches the audience’s hearts, and brings them closer to the drama.

Overall, I think Boy A is a good film because it’s real and not a fantasy. The realism in the drama is brilliant, a story of a boy who killed a little girl, then at the age of 24 decides to be identified as someone else to change his status, and this is cleverly done and is done with total intelligence. I also liked Andrew Garfield’s acting, he is a spectacular actor. His character in the drama struggles with his emotions that Andrew can portray to the viewers. His glances, nervousness and sneaky attempt to secure his characters past is amazing. The performance of Andrew is influential and is what made this drama win so many awards.

I always watch dramas on channel 4 and Boy A is something I would have watched because it appeals to my age group because it is about a young boy and is something some people at my age could relate too. A drama which I watch every year called Misfits is also shown on Channel 4 and is also targeted towards teenagers, in comparison to Boy A, it is slightly similar because they both deal with subjects which the audience can relate to. However, Misfits is a sci-fiction comedy drama so it tends to be unrealistic sometimes.  Both Boy A and Misfits deal with crime, in Misfits a group of young offenders are forced to work in a community service programme and after learn from their mistakes. After the punishment their past still creeps up behind them, similar to Boy A, Jack learns from his mistakes but his past is never forgotten.

I live in an area where there is unemployment, crime and poverty, therefore in comparison to Boy A’s environment it is very similar. The drama represents a boy as a criminal, and in this generation people seem to think every youth is dangerous, as a result there is a use of a stereotype in the drama.  

It has to be said, the ending was shameful and didn’t live up to the hopes I was hoping it would. Some could say the drama was offensive because they believe that you can run away from your past, but your past can’t run away from you. Although I also believe in the quote, I think that people deserve a second chance. People would argue that people who commit a bad crime don’t, but what if they have learnt from there mistakes, from the punishment they’ve received.