Poster Boy

The film's strident tone also serves to undermine its generally above-average performances.

Even with satisfying performances from the principal actors, Poster Boy is longer on energy than focus.

Director Zak Tucker is a bit too fond of jump cuts as signifiers of edginess. Still, when the material doesn't get in the way he's pretty good at getting across the emotional content.

A polemic masquerading as a movie, Poster Boy unspools like a humorless lecture on right-wing homophobia.

An overwrought story of American politics and image-making that really only gets interesting in the final act.

Rather than creating believable characters engaged in nuanced conflict, Boy proffers a pair of obvious symbols and hopes that they'll make a statement about the personal and the political.

Tucker's message is sometimes on target, even if his film isn't.