Film

The Library Boys

Name: The Library Boys
Genre: Comedy
Released: 2022
Cast: Paige Joustra, Mia Barrett, John McCullough, Ella Crotty, Joe Kenny

Buddy comedy
Light-hearted

A scrappy Irish comedy about three final-year students navigating crushes, relationships and the social chaos of school. It's warm and unglamorous, shot through with genuine affection for its characters' small dramas. Unpolished but earnest—the kind of film that works because it likes its people.

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Love Happens2009

A rom-com with real emotional weight beneath the laughs. It understands that relationships are complicated and that growth sometimes means admitting you've been wrong. Genuinely touching without losing its humour.

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Swingers1996

Three friends in LA, obsessing over romance and their place in the world. It's sharp and funny about male anxiety without being cruel, and it nails the particular pain of wanting things you're not sure you deserve.

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The Breakfast Club1985

Five teenagers forced together discover they're all more interesting and damaged than their social types suggested. It's funny and sad in the same breath, and it actually respects its young people. A masterclass in ensemble comedy-drama.

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Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Library Boys

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Heartstopper2022

Both are small, unironic films about teenagers figuring out who they are. Both have real affection for their ensemble and the ordinary crises of friendship and romance. Both are shameless about believing young people matter.

A British series about a gay romance between two school friends, but it's also about friendship, acceptance, and the small dramas that feel enormous when you're young. Visually inventive, genuinely funny, and it cares about every character.

But The animation-and-live-action hybrid isn't for everyone; some find it whimsical rather than effective. Some episodes are very gentle when you might want plot.

Sour Grapes2016

A documentary about two best friends, wine fraud, and the way jealousy can corrode something real. It's funny and tragic at once, and you won't see the ending coming. Mesmerising.

But If you don't care about wine or fraud, the specifics might not grab you. It's also quite dark—this is a friendship being destroyed.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople2016

A New Zealand film about an old man and a foster kid on the run. Hilarious, heartfelt, and propulsive. Taika Waititi finds the comedy in loneliness and learns to sing there too.

But If you can't warm to small-budget regional films, the tone might feel precious. Some New Zealand slang requires subtitle attention.

Dope2015

Three smart misfits in Inglewood navigate high school, identity, and what it means to be yourself. Clever and visually inventive, with real affection for its nerdy heroes. A genuine delight.

But The plot climax is a bit rushed and relies on contrivance. Some hip-hop references date it already.

Superbad2007

Two best friends trying to lose their virginity before college. It's crude and it's hilarious, but underneath there's genuine tenderness about growing up and drifting apart. One of the smartest comedies about male friendship.

But The sex jokes get repetitive, and the energy never lets up—no room to breathe. Some of the older characters are drawn pretty thin.

mid90s2018

Jonah Hill's directorial debut is about a 13-year-old discovering skateboard culture in 90s LA. Beautifully shot, funny and sad, with a real ear for how kids talk to each other. It's tender about adolescence without romanticising it.

But Very little plot in the traditional sense—it meanders, and that will bore people wanting a three-act structure. The skate culture is fairly specific.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower2012

A shy freshman finds his people in a group of misfits. Funny and genuinely moving, with a great ensemble and a real understanding of what it feels like to not belong—and then to belong.

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C.R.A.Z.Y.2005

Same DNA: a film about a young person navigating identity in the spaces where they're supposed to belong. Both are confident enough in their characters to let them breathe. Both understand that growing up is absurd and devastating at once.

A Quebec film spanning four decades of a boy becoming a man, watched through the eyes of his relationship with his father. Visually gorgeous, deeply funny, and one of the most moving pieces of cinema about family and identity ever made.

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Derry Girls2018

Where The Library Boys is rough-edged and unpolished, Derry Girls is refined—but they're built on the same foundation: ensemble comedy about real teenagers that never punches down and never asks them to stop being interesting just because they're young.

Five teenagers in 90s Northern Ireland navigating school, love, and the specific chaos of being that age in that place. It's one of the funniest and warmest shows on television. Every character is fully drawn, and the ensemble is perfect.

But Heavy on Irish and Northern Irish references—some jokes will sail past. Also: it's about girls, so if you were hoping for something that centered boys, this is its inversion.