"Boy Erased" hits theaters Friday

The new movie, “Boy Erased,” premieres this Friday Nov.2 and it’s a story of love, trial, heartbreak and conversion therapy.

Directed and written by Joel Edgerton, this film tells the tale of Jared Eamons (played by Lucas Hedges) who is gay, outed to his parents (Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe) and forced to do conversion therapy.

Taking place in Arkansas and part of America’s Bible Belt, “Boy Erased” explores one man’s difficult journey with his sexuality, religion and family.

The film is based on the life of conversion therapy survivor and author, Garrard Conley.

Conley told BBC News he explored his sexuality in college, but when he was 19-years-old he was sexually assaulted by a friend and crush who was the person that outed him.

He was then given the horrible option to either do conversion therapy or never see his family again.

“I was in free fall from being raped, and having the rapist say he had also raped a 14-year-old boy,” he said. “And then my dad gave me the ultimatum. I was terrified of losing God. I prayed every night.’

The film portrays Conley’s intense treatment at a facility in Tennessee which nearly killed him.

“I had believed there were actual demons possessing me,” Conley said.

However, Conley didn't blame his parents for what happened and maintains a relationship with them.

“Yes, my parents made a terrible mistake which could have cost me my life. But they didn't know what they were doing to me,” he said.

Edgerton wrote the screen play for the film based from Conley’s memoir.

Conversation therapy is still an issue in parts of the world and Conley and Edgerton hope this film sheds light on the issue.

“On one hand it’s an identifier for young people to go, ‘I’m not alone; here’s a story I can identify with,’” he said. “The other side of it is for parents, to educate parents about what someone else went through and the decisions they’ve made and how in the aftermath of that they realized that maybe they’d made a mistake and they’re both evolving in their own way.”

“Boy Erased” releases in theaters Nov. 2.

Copyright The Gayly. 10/30/2018 @ 1:02 p.m. CST.