The Toy Soldiers

2015 • 144 minutes

About this movie

On one evening in a decade of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, the innocence of youth and family unravels.

Ratings and reviews

Set at a 80's roller rink named The Toy Soldiers, this film brings back a lot of memories, but the intense and sometimes tragic personal stories will grab you and pull you in. If you like the trailer you'll love the film, and will watch it more than once. An Indie film is never perfect, but this one is well cast and well acted, bringing realism to those awkward teen years and coming of age drama.

Saw in theaters and never spent so much time thinking of a film There is no doubt, this is an amazing combination of film meets movie and art meets commerce. It is no ordinary movie. The mood and stories and characters keep building, and when it finally comes down, I feel this immense sense of relief and wonder at how Erik Peter Carlson was able to come up with something so clever and intertwining and wondrous, and was able to pull it off. The cast, as you have probably read, is superb. I have never been so impressed. This film has "restored my faith in the film making industry. To see these actors, crew, and the writer/director/genius at work is inspiring." These people obviously love their craft. The soundtrack, oh, the soundtrack. When listening to the songs, I can picture each exact moment as if I was watching the movie all over again, and it brings unexplainable feeling. Daily Bread and Gliss' songs, especially, are a perfect fit to a perfect story and mood. If you want to see glorious film making, acting, writing, and characters in action, I HIGHLY suggest you see The Toy Soldiers.

The Toy Soldiers must be congratulated on its distinctive style and vibe. The cinematography, lighting, clothing and set designs, location choices and especially the music collectively enabled an energetic and colourful dramatic success; a Hollywood film on an indie budget, fired by genius in other words. The importance of the themes covered and how well they were handled – homophobia, mental illness, abuse and the imperfections of humankind, cannot be understated or overly applauded. The cast were remarkable, each giving stellar performances; Chandler Rylko (Elliot Harris), Constance Brenneman (Mary Harris), Samuel Nolan (Jack Harris) and Nick Frangione (Steve), for some this was their first lead performance in a feature film yet there was not a single frame where they showed it. Erik Peter Carlson grabs controversial topical subject matters by the horns and steers them into such a brilliant direction you can’t help but absolutely admire his continued efforts to delve deeper than the norm. A phenomenal personal achievement for the director and an outstanding accomplishment for his cast and crew. The Toy Soldiers is nothing short of extraordinary.