Films and TV shows that feel like Boys Don't Cry by The Cure
A cheerfully catchy surface masks suppressed heartbreak, a young man hiding his hurt behind a forced smile and a laugh.
- Submarine (2011): An awkward Welsh teen hides his feelings behind deadpan narration and first-love heartache.
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012): Sensitive outsiders, mixtape melancholy and emotions kept tightly bottled up.
- Sing Street (2016): Bright, hooky 80s-style pop made by a lovesick teen escaping a grey city.
- Adventureland (2009): Wry, wounded 80s young adulthood where jokes cover the hurt.
- This Is England (2007): Early-80s British youth, vulnerability beneath the bravado of masculine culture.
- Heartstopper (2022): Tender teenage feelings and boys learning that showing emotion is okay.
- Freaks and Geeks (1999): Awkward suburban teens in 1980-81 with bittersweet, unglamorous heartbreak.
- The End of the F***ing World (2017): Emotionally numb British teens whose dark humour hides real pain.
