The Boys Next Door (1996): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1996, The Boys Next Door is a comedy, drama and tv movie film directed by John Erman, running about 98 minutes. “Sometimes being a little different means being a lot more wonderful.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Jack Palmer is a social worker whose job has taken precedence over his personal life. Mainly, his job is to help four mentally challenged men live regular lives in a home. They consist of: Norman, who works at a donut shop and has a thing for keys; Barry, who thinks he is a golf pro and doesn't communicate well with his father; Arnold, who is into all things Russian and has a habit of spending money; and Lucien, who is into Spider Man and must testify before the state senate. Jack wants to help them, but he also thinks it is time to move on with his life. The hard part is trying to say goodbye to the guys he cares about.

Who’s in it. The Boys Next Door stars Nathan Lane as Norman Bulansky, Robert Sean Leonard as Barry Klemper, Tony Goldwyn as Jack Palmer and Michael Jeter as Arnold Wiggins, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.0/10, The Boys Next Door has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on fuboTV, Philo, YouTube TV and Hallmark+ Amazon Channel. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Boys Next Door page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Boys Next Door tend to enjoy Forrest Gump, Parasite, Life Is Beautiful and Fight Club.