Common Sense Media Review
By Renee Longstreet
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Insightful coming-of-age drama has language, homophobia.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Handsome Devil
What's the Story?
In HANDSOME DEVIL, Ned (Fionn O'Shea) is a self-acknowledged misfit who really doesn't want to go to boarding school. He's hoping that he'll be quickly expelled, but his dad and stepmom are resolute. Woodhill College (an Irish high school) is just what he expected. The boys are all too "cool," obsessed with rugby, and intolerant of kids who don't immediately fit in—particularly ones they presume are gay. Ned's only solace is that he's got a room of his own. Until, at the last possible moment, new student Conor (Nicholas Galitzine)—rugby star extraordinaire and the coolest of the cool—is forced to join him. Ned, introspective and quirky, is isolated and bullied. Conor, who's been expelled from his last school for fighting, just wants to be left alone. Both boys complain to the headmaster, to no avail, so they build a literal wall down the center of their room. Enter Dan Sherry (Andrew Scott), English teacher with a strong purpose, who helps them gradually pull that wall down and see that they have more in common than they realize.
Is It Any Good?
While the themes and storyline may be familiar, the performances, insights, and filmmaking skills are not. What might be routine becomes compelling, inspiring, and moving in Handsome Devil. The teen actors are uniformly stellar; O'Shea and Galitzine will make you smile and break your heart. Scott, as teacher Dan Sherry, gives depth to what might have been a conventional character. Writer John Butler directs with a sure hand and an open heart. It's not a perfect movie: The villains are shallow and the outcome is ultimately predictable, but there are plenty of surprises and enough nuance to make Handsome Devil special.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Handsome Devil compares to other stories about LGBTQ+ characters facing bigotry. Did anything about the film or the characters surprise you? Did you root for different people as the story went on? In what ways did the filmmakers make this familiar story unique?
What is meant in this film when a character is advised "not to speak in a borrowed voice"? Why is it important to be who you are and not pretend to be something else or hide your identity?
The two characters in the film who bully others the most—Mr. O'Keeffe and Weasel—are quite one-dimensional. Would it be more interesting if they were shown as flawed, more complex individuals? Why, or why not? Was any change of heart that either of them experienced well-motivated by the conclusion?
How do characters show empathy and courage? Why are these important character strengths?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 8, 2016
- On DVD or streaming : June 2, 2017
- Cast : Fionn O'Shea , Nicholas Galitzine , Andrew Scott
- Director : John Butler
- Studio : Breaking Glass Pictures
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Friendship , School ( High School )
- Character Strengths : Courage , Empathy
- Run time : 95 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : July 10, 2026
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