Propelling a poignant coming-of-age narrative into unusually deep and rewarding territory, Christopher Honoré’s exquisite semi-autobiographical drama maps the journey of Lucas (Paul Kircher), a self-confident gay boarding school student in rural France, whose sense of himself starts to unravel in the wake of a family tragedy. His loving mother (played by the always remarkable Academy Award-winner Juliette Binoche) wants to support her spiraling son, allowing him to spend a week in Paris with his bohemian older brother (Vincent Lacoste, in his third film with Honoré). There Lucas will explore the boundaries of his sexual self-discovery, developing an infatuation for his brother’s roommate (Erwan Kepoa Falé, Dustin, Frameline45) and jumpstarting his adult life. The week will transform Lucas, but not in ways he fully can handle.

As Lucas, Kircher delivers an astonishing breakout performance, while the natural, intimate cinematography anchors the film’s humanity. In Winter Boy, Honoré (Sorry Angel; Love Songs) gives us a reflective, tender, and spiritually uplifting account of that delicate moment of being on the precipice of adulthood and becoming who you are.