9 minutes that'll wreck your heart and baptize your soul.
Based on a true story, Joy Noy revisits pivotal moments in the life of Jonny, a young man caught between his conservative family, an evangelical church and his emergent sexuality.
Acting
Holahan-Cantwell's silence screams louder than any dialogue.
Direction
Smith weaponizes church aesthetics against themselves.
Director
Stef Smith
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The title 'Joy Boy' weaponizes the name 'Joy' — typically feminine-coded — against Jonny's forced masculinity, creating linguistic dysphoria.
The 1.0 TMDB rating likely reflects targeted brigading from anti-LGBTQ+ groups, a common phenomenon for queer short films with minimal mainstream visibility.
AU
