Boys

A vacuous attempt to make money off the fantasies of teen boys, writer/director Stacy Cochran's film is a lesson in implausibility. Following the unlikely relationship between a mysterious older woman (Winona Ryder) and a brooding, boarding-school senior (Lukas Haas), Boys is undone by its contradictory characters and plot. Ryder's Patty, for example, is 25-years-old and lives alone in an impressive house--a sign of a responsible adult. Yet she runs from the law for a crime that she isn't guilty of committing. Worse, her attraction to a high-school kid doesn't make sense. He's a tightly-wound bundle of teen angst--not exactly lover material. That they look like brother and sister only makes matters more unrealistic, not to mention stomach-churning. Put this Boys to the side. (L. Russo) [Blu-ray/DVD Review—Feb. 20, 2018—Kino Lorber, 86 min., PG-13, Blu-ray: $24.95—Making its Blu-ray debut, 1996's Boys features an unremarkable transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack on the Blu-ray release. Extras include audio commentary by director Stacy Cochran, an audition with costars Skeet Ulrich and Lukas Haas (29 min.), a production featurette (5 min.), selected B-roll footage (4 min.), and the cast 'Alright' music video. Bottom line: a forgettable ‘90s film makes its Blu-ray debut.]