Jim Archer

In Big Boys (2022), the university setting stays behind the students and their discomfort. Jim Archer gives two young men with little in common room to grow close without making every exchange a lesson in friendship. It is assured, generous comedy direction, and we recommend it. We were moved by Dylan Llewellyn and Jon Pointing’s performances because they make that unlikely friendship feel earned. Their awkwardness is allowed to remain funny even as the affection grows.

The short Brian and Charles (2017) led to his feature debut, Brian and Charles (2022), with actor-writers David Earl and Chris Hayward as collaborators on both. Between those films came television work on episodes of The Young Offenders (2019). His use of mockumentary in Brian and Charles favours atmosphere over straightforward sitcom parody. That is a useful distinction when considering a director who repeatedly returns to lonely, eccentric men. He is interested in the company they find, giving him something to work with beyond the initial oddness.

Big Boys gives us the stronger basis for judging how well his approach holds up. Charlie Goodger’s cinematography and Ashling Johnson’s production design keep the university subordinate to the students, rather than offering an attractive distraction from them. Gareth McEwen’s editing lets the jokes move briskly without treating grief as an interruption. Fryars’ music helps the tenderness, although the programme scarcely needs the encouragement. These choices give the actors room without letting the comedy become sluggish.

Archer directed all three series of Big Boys (2022–2025), sustaining the collaboration with writer Jack Rooke over a longer stretch than a feature allows. Our reservation is the programme’s eagerness to reassure, which can soften the jokes. The performers are persuasive enough that we would welcome a little less encouragement to feel fond of them. Start with Big Boys, for the actors and the time he gives their friendship.