After the global success of Normal People, it’s baffling that we weren’t inundated with more complicated Trinity student romances on screen (the literary world certainly got its share).
But finally, here we are with Girls & Boys. And while the Normal People comparisons are inevitable, rest assured this low-budget Gen Z meet-cute is its own beast.
It’s Halloween night in Dublin, and Trinity students Charlie (Liath Hannon) and Jason (Adam Lunnon-Collery) bump into each other at a college party. On the surface, the two have very little in common: Charlie is an aspiring filmmaker, an outwardly confident trans girl with a Super 8 camera, while Jason is a rugby player dressed as the "arrogant jock." He is surprised but unfazed when he learns Charlie is trans, and the two click effortlessly. When the party is broken up by the Gardaí, they set off on a mini-odyssey through the city, slowly learning more about each other.
For the most part, it’s laid back and sweet. Dublin city looks magical here, far less chaotic than it actually is on Halloween night. But you can sense the twist bubbling under the surface. When it finally arrives, the audience is asked to suspend disbelief quite a bit, but the two leads keep the story grounded and engaging right up to the credits.
Girls & Boys is an impressive and immersive debut from Donncha Gilmore, one that lingers in the mind for days afterwards.
