This film takes a vital look at how boys become men in 2019. It revisits the moments from toddler to teenager—familiar to many boys and their parents—that shape the life of a young man. From the moment he’s told that “boys don’t cry” at an early age, he’s molded to fit an outdated construct of masculinity and to look and act in a way that betrays what he really feels. As the film progresses, we see in tragic detail how a boy with such brilliant potential is emotionally compromised—slowly and deliberately formed to become nothing more than an alpha predator.

The editor takes the viewer on a three-minute journey into the sixteen years of a young boy’s life, and the myriad moments that shape his sense of masculinity. These moments were carefully chosen to map our hero’s descent into toxicity. The longer the viewer watches, the more uncomfortable they feel. This was purposeful. The editor shields nothing, even moments we’d rather look away from. As the film nears its end, the pace slows, allowing the viewer a moment to contemplate what they have just seen.