Netflix Viewers Warn ‘Devastating’ True-Story Crime Drama Is Almost Too Difficult to Watch — but Say Its Harrowing Story Is a ‘Must See’

Netflix viewers have discovered a deeply upsetting British crime drama based on a true story, with some warning that its subject matter makes it extraordinarily difficult to watch.

Big Boys Don’t Cry stars Michael Socha in the story of Paul Connolly, who endured a traumatic childhood at the notorious St Leonard’s Children’s Home in Essex.

Released in 2020, the biographical drama doesn’t shy away from the physical and emotional abuse at the heart of Connolly’s experiences.

Viewers have described the film as “heartbreaking,” “powerful” and “beautifully acted,” while others admit certain scenes left them weeping.

One reaction perhaps captures its impact most clearly: “The film killed me.”

The disturbing true story behind the film

Paul Connolly’s childhood began under devastating circumstances.

According to the account behind the film, he was abandoned in a bin when he was just two weeks old before being discovered and taken into care.

He would later spend part of his childhood at St Leonard’s Children’s Home in Essex, where he experienced physical and emotional abuse.

Big Boys Don’t Cry draws on those experiences while focusing on what happens when the past suddenly returns.

Years later, a new police investigation into the children’s home forces Paul to revisit the trauma he had endured there.

The real Connolly was closely involved with bringing his story to the screen, serving as an executive producer on the film.

Michael Socha takes on the harrowing central role

Michael Socha, known for dramas including Showtrial, leads the film.

The cast also features Amelia Eve, who previously appeared alongside Socha in The Haunting of Bly Manor, as well as Bad Girls actress Victoria Alcock and Grace star Zoe Tapper.

But it is the disturbing reality behind the story that has stayed with many viewers long after the credits.

IMDb users have warned others not to approach the film expecting light entertainment.

Instead, they describe a deliberately uncomfortable experience that confronts its painful subject matter directly.

“I felt extremely uncomfortable at times which was exactly how I think I was supposed to feel,” one viewer wrote after declaring that the film had “killed” them emotionally.

Viewers call it a ‘necessary watch’

Another viewer said the film explores an extremely harrowing subject in a way that is “hard to watch,” but ultimately called it a “must see for audiences everywhere.”

A third described it as “one of the most difficult and hard hitting films that I’ve ever watched.”

Others used words including “heartbreaking” to describe the experience, with one viewer saying some of the most emotional moments left them in tears.

The strong reactions underline the difficult balance at the centre of Big Boys Don’t Cry.

Its subject matter makes it uncomfortable viewing, but that same refusal to soften Paul’s experiences is also why some viewers consider it important.

Paul Connolly continued telling his story

Connolly’s involvement with the film wasn’t the first time he had publicly confronted his childhood.

He has released two memoirs about his experiences and has also spoken about his life at charity events.

He now operates a physical therapy and coaching practice in Essex.

His decision to work as an executive producer on Big Boys Don’t Cry helped bring the story he had previously told through his writing to the screen.

The film was shot around Kent

Much of Big Boys Don’t Cry was filmed in Kent.

Locations included Deal’s seafront and streets around Gravesend, including Mario’s Fish Bar, while filming also took place in Cliffe Woods and Higham.

Those everyday British locations provide the backdrop for a story rooted in real experiences and memories that followed Connolly far beyond childhood.

For viewers discovering the film on Netflix, however, the repeated warning is clear.

This isn’t an easy watch.

But judging by the reactions from those who have made it through its most difficult scenes, that is precisely why Big Boys Don’t Cry has left such a powerful impression.

Big Boys Don’t Cry is available to watch on Netflix.