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A new film portrays the life of a teenager who discovers he is sexually attracted to children and how he tries to cope. This review contains spoilers for No Dogs Allowed. It is hard to find representation in media that doesn't portray us as the stereotypical monster with uncontrollable desires and/or a lack of any empathy for children. So it's a breath of air when pedophiles get positive and/or sympathetic portrayals in movies, books and TV shows. Head Burst (2019) showcased a very powerful story of an anti-contact pedophile, and I found the main character extremely relatable. We've had other sympathetic portrayals, such as A Good Boy (2008) and This Special Friendship (1964).
No Dogs Allowed (2024) is the latest sympathetic pedophile portrayals. While it has flaws, it's an excellent portrayal of the struggles that young pedophiles go through, highlighting the importance of support and understanding.
plot summary with spoilersFifteen year old Gabo is in the process of coming to terms with his attraction to children. On the road to seeking support, he comes across another pedophile online who shows him sympathy and guidance. The pair eventually meet, and initially the other pedophile (considerably older, in his 40s), called Dave, seems genuinely supportive. He shows Gabo understanding, and doesn't judge him when he has questions about using non-pornographic online images of real children, or reminding him not to stare too long at kids when out and about. Unfortunately, things take a turn for the worse, and Dave sexually abuses Gabo. The teenage pedophile, feeling as if he has nobody else, continues to contact his abuser.
We learn that there are other teenagers, perhaps other pedophile teens, that Dave has abused. One of the parents of another victim makes a complaint, and soon there's an entire police investigation in which Gabo is caught up.
In the middle of all this, he is dealing with falling in love with the littel brother of his best friend Sebbo, eight year old Sam. He tells Dave about his love for Sam, in the hope that his pedophile friend will support him, but it backfires as photos and messages about Sam appear in the investigation from Dave's devices. Suddenly the possibility that Gabo abused Sam enters the mind of his mum and Sebbo, who directly accuses him of doing inappropriate things with the boy.
Gabo, who not only has not abused anyone but is in fact a victim himself, stops covering for Dave, and reports his abuser to the police. They bring him in for questioning about fantasy material he wrote about Sam, but ultimately Gabo sees light at the end of the tunnel, with his sister and mum showing support, and Sebbo apologizing for ever thinking that Gabo could be abusing Sam.
What does the movie get right? One of the best aspects is showcasing how Gabo deals with his attractions. We see how he falls for Sam, how he is entranced by the boy's beauty and personality. Sebbo treats his eight year old brother as a nuisance, but Gabo gives him genuine attention. The two of them have fun playing video games, or when Sam is posing for Gabo taking photos for a 3D modelling project (something Sebbo suggested). We see the genuine love and admiration that Gabo has for Sam, not just in person but when he looks at photos of the boy on his phone, zooming in on his face while lying in bed. As a pedophile exclusively attracted to boys, this is very familiar for me and I was happy to see it in the movie.
The movie successfully portrays the struggles many of us have, particularly at such a young age. Gabo is afraid that he might eventually offend; he's scared of what his friends and family will think if they knew the truth; he's self-conscious when asked why he doesn't have a girlfriend yet. He goes through a lot of self-hate and is desperate to reach out for support. I think a lot of us could've done with more support during our teenage years. I certainly could've done with someone telling me that I'm not the threat to kids that I think I am, and that I don't need to feel ashamed or scared when I'm around them.
All these plot points are well researched and plausible, and are light years away from common media portrayals of us. Still, I'm concerned that non-pedophiles may get the wrong impression about certain things.
Firstly, online support groups are shown in a negative light. When Gabo reaches out for peer support, he's met with a pedophile (or hebephile, I should say) who abuses him and takes advantage of his need for help. I think it would've been better to show the positive side of peer support. Perhaps Gabo could've joined a group similar to VirPed or MSC. Portraying these as an alternative to what can be found elsewhere on the internet would show how effective peer-support groups can be. I wish Dave was a genuinely supportive character, guiding Gabo through his doubts and making him realize that he's not a monster.
I want non-pedophiles to understand that these online groups are not dangerous. They are necessary in a society that shuns us. I don't know where I'd be or if I'd still be alive if it wasn't for VirPed or the outreach it facilitates.
I also think it would've been better for us to see Gabo and Sam's friendship continue. The movie had the chance to portray the reality of a non-offending, anti-contact pedophile having a younger friend with both parties benefitting from the friendship. Gabo and Sebbo's friendship is repaired so perhaps his continued friendship with Sam is implied.
I find it interesting how Sam went out of his way to visit Gabo later on in the movie, perhaps an indication of how well Gabo treats him compared to his brother Sebbo. Anyway, the endearing way that the two of them get on is shown quite well early in the movie, I only wish we saw more of that. Ideally, we'd see Gabo, Sebbo and Sam continue to spend quality time together after everything that happened, and perhaps Gabo realizes he's very good with kids and ends up in a volunteer role with kids that he enjoys a lot, for reasons beyond being a pedophile.
None of us is yet expecting a 'perfect' portrayal of true pedophile experiece. No Dogs Allowed does an excellent job and it's one of the best media representations of us to date. Despite its flaws, I would recommend it for pedophiles and non-pedophiles. | |
