Real Boy documents a pivotal time in the life of 19 year-old Bennett Wallace, as he transitions between genders but also makes the infinitely subtle shifts that mark the entrance into adulthood.

His mother doesn’t understand his transition, but director Shaleece Haas is careful to never portray her as a villain – just a mother worried for her baby’s well-being.

Bennett is one of hundreds of trans people documenting their transition online, but while it’s undoubtedly comforting to be reminded that others are in the same boat, time and again we’re reminded that the hardest battles are fought inside our own heads.

Eat your heart out, Caitlin Jenner. Thanks to its frank but nuanced approach and a charming subject in Bennett, Real Boy is an affecting look into the realities of transitioning.

RATING: 4/5

INFORMATION

DIRECTOR: Shaleece Haas

SYNOPSIS: Real Boy is the coming-of-age story of Bennett, a transgender teenager seeking to find his voice—as a musician, a friend, a son, and a man. As he navigates the ups and downs of gender transition and grapples with a history of substance abuse, Bennett works to gain the love and support of his mother, who has deep misgivings about her child’s transition.