Boulevard (2014) Review: Ranking Robin Williams’ Bleakest Drama
Is Boulevard (2014) a good movie?Boulevard is a devastating, bleak, but ultimately flawed 2014 drama. Featuring an incredibly moving performance by Robin Williams, the film squanders its potential by focusing on the wrong narrative, landing it in the middle-bottom tier of our ultimate movie ranking and review.
The Premise: What is Boulevard About?
Nolan Mack (Robin Williams) is a 60-year-old bank employee stuck in a joyless marriage, going through the motions of a life he feels nothing for. His suppressed identity finally cracks when he forms a secret relationship with Leo, a young male sex worker. As Nolan confronts years of societal expectations, he is forced to make life-altering choices about love, truth, and freedom.
What Works: The Confrontation
The film hints at massive emotional depth, and when it finally delivers, it is devastating. The strongest moments are when Nolan is forced to confront his wife, Joy. They admit they were never truly happy, just comfortable playing their assigned roles. When Nolan delivers a monologue about waiting 60 years for permission to be himself, it is absolutely heartbreaking—especially knowing what Robin was dealing with personally at the time.
What Doesn't Work: The Wrong Focus
The script completely misses the point of its own story. It fixates entirely on Nolan's misguided attempt at intimacy with Leo, a character who is barely fleshed out. Nolan doesn't even want physical intimacy; he just wants to be held, suggesting a deep trauma that the film never explores.
The relationship with the sex worker should have been the inciting incident—wrapped up in the first act—so the film could focus on the most interesting part: his marriage and why he chose to live a lie for so long.
The Robin Williams Ranking & Performance Score
Robin Williams Performance Score:RETIRED Out of respect for Robin's battle with undiagnosed Lewy Body Dementia, we have officially retired our performance score rating.
Good Mourning Robin Ranking: In our ranking, it is stronger than The Night Listener, and sits right above it. Together, they make the bleakest double feature imaginable.
FAQ: Boulevard (2014) Movie
Was Boulevard the last movie Robin Williams made? While released commercially in 2015, Boulevard was released at festivals in 2014, making it one of his final dramatic roles.
What is the movie Boulevard about? A 60-year-old married man finally confronts his suppressed homosexuality after forming a connection with a young male sex worker.
How does Robin Williams perform in Boulevard? In our review, we praise his performance as devastating, heartbreaking, and deeply moving, anchoring the film's bleak narrative.
