Format: Feature Film, 120 min
Genre: Psychological Drama
Director: Sven J. Matten
Script: Kristian Hodko, Sven J. Matten & Robert Wertheimer
Producer: Michel Vandewalle, Maynard Kraak,
Sven J. Matten & David Hamilton
Casting: Jeremy Zimmermann
Music: Darren Fung
World Sales: atlas international film
Log line:
Jan, a in his childhood abused intersexual man, tries to tackle his adult life but even his closest friends can’t help to recover.
A GOOD BOY is an emotionally driven psychological drama.
The new feature film by Sven J Matten after his latest success “Steel”. Like Krzysztof Kieślowski’s Three-Color-Trilogy films, with elements of contemporary television / streaming series like “Sex Education, “Gossip Girl” and “Grace & Frankie”, to be realized in 2024.
Synopsis:
This is the extraordinary life of Jan, an inter-sex boy sold for sex as a child by his own father. We follow his extraordinary journey through his childhood, his teen years, and finally his adult life where he becomes a successful businessman, trying tirelessly to lead a normal life.
Jan’s spirit and courage allow him to escape his home, only to be taken by one of his father’s long-time clients. At the age of eight, Jan is locked into a room and kept captive for years on end as the abuse continues. At 13 years old , Jan manages to finally escape and is taken in by a loving foster family. Jan’s years of neglect show in his behavior and social anxiety, but the warmth and sincerity of his new adopted family help him heal — enough at least to lead a life resembling some normalcy. We are now in Jan’s prime years, his late-teens as he is attending college and create a bond with two of his roommates, Sebastian and Oliver. This is a friendship that will last the rest of Jan’s life. In his youth, Jan explore his own sexuality through many failed encounters, finding himself relying on his roommates for comfort, especially Sebastian, whom he begins to form a
more intimate bond with. Jan’s emotional and sychological handicap from his trauma impedes him from being able to have a healthy relationship, but it’s not from lack of trying. Jan pushes away his past by focusing on his studies and athletics resulting in him being academically brilliant – however, the past never leaves him for long. Jan find a new way of coping with his past, one that will follow him for the rest of his life: cutting.
As a grown-up, Jan leads a successful investment firm and builds an abundance of wealth for himself and his friends, but the increasing lack of inner feelings aggravates his cutting. He seeks medical help in his close friend and confidant, Sebastian, his former roommate. Sebastian insists on Jan seeking physiological therapy, but he is unable to.
As the years pass, Jan’s condition gets worse and manifests as a recurring cancer. In his worsening condition, his friends come to his aid as Jan’s newly purchased beach house where he has decided to retire. After a recurrence of his cancer, and an ineffective chemotherapy treatment, Sebastian decides to live with Jan and nurse him back to health.
His friends try desperately to convince Jan to seek help in dealing with his deep-rooted trauma, but their effort is unsuccessful. In his final days, Jan is with Sebastian — their unrequited love begins to blossom. Even though their relationship was never sexual, their trust and emotional intimacy gives Jan a sense of calm and belonging.
One night, Jan cuts himself too deep. Sebastian tends to his wounds and Jan feels the need to thank his friend for saving his life — in the only way he knows how: Jan´s years of sexual conditioning kick and he automatically tries to sexually seduce Sebastian as he would any other client. Jan eventually breaks down in Sebastian’s arms.
Little later Jan collapses. His closest friends, his family of choice, gather around him in the hospital bed where they are told he will not recover.