Boots initially sounds like it’s pitched as Full Metal Jacket meets Queer As Folk.
Set in 1990, young private Cameron Cope (Miles Heizer – Nerve) and some others are gay, but homosexuality was not allowed in the military at the time. However, if such a storyline is going to potentially put you off watching, then don’t be put off, because out of everything going on in this drama, that’s a little way down the list.
As the new recruits turn up to Boot Camp, true to the title of the programme, someone’s… boots go missing, because another has stolen them for a prank, but if you have watched ANY military dramas in the past, you’ll know that when one of the privates messes about, EVERYONE gets punished.
That doesn’t help when some recruits have a self-destructive streak, and nor does the task that I’d fail, of having to do three chin ups or you’re out!
Taking the lead as private Cope, Mr Heizer looks like a combination of Nicholas Hoult and Jack Alcott, from Dexter Resurrection (now confirmed for Season 2!), and having signed up alongside best friend Ray McAffey (Liam Oh, above-left, with Hezier), they have each other’s backs, but be aware… be very aware… of some of the drill instructor sargeants, particularly Sgt. Knox (Zach Roerig), who only has to look at you and you’ll explode in a cloud of fragments.
There’s also a smaller role for Vera Farmiga as Cameron’s mother, Barbara, who didn’t take it seriously when he said he was joining the army. Oopsy, she’ll get a shock!
Meanwhile, Ana Ayora absolutely rocks as the military’s first female Captain, Capt. Fajardo. She can take down my particulars any time!
Based upon Greg Cope White‘s novel, The Pink Marine, as some of the young lads are getting pushed over the edge – making you wonder who’ll make it through the 13 weeks of training, Boots is both hugely entertaining and engaging in equal measure. It’s also set in 1990 because it’s the year that the lead character graduated from school, hence I expect it’s the same for Mr White, although his age isn’t listed online. Still, 1990 IS when I also graduated from school, so I’m loving a ton of ’80s music throughout the show, including New Order’s Blue Monday… and I’ve still got the 12″ with the sleeve that cost so much to make, that the band actually LOST MONEY with every copy sold.
Thanks to our friends at Netflix for the screener prior to release.
Boots is on Netflix from tomorrow.
It’s not yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD, but when it is, it will be listed on the New DVD, Blu-ray, 3D and 4K releases UK page.
Check out the trailer below:
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 45 minutes per episode (8 episodes)
Release date: October 9th 2025
Studio: Netflix
Format: 2.00:1
Series Directors: Phil Abraham, Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Silas Howard, Tanya Hamilton, Peter Hoar
Producers: James Sodini, Todd Lewis, Cyndi Brenner
Creator: Andy Parker
Writers: Dominic Colón, Megan Ferrell Burke, Andy Parker, Greg Cope White, Andrea Ciannavei, Jonathan Caren, Nick Jones Jr
Novel: Greg Cope White (‘The Pink Marine’)
Music: Jongnic Bontemps
Cast:
Cameron Cope: Miles Heizer
John Bowman: Blake Burt
Staff Sgt. McKinnon: Cedrick Cooper
Capt. Fajardo: Ana Ayora
Nash: Dominic Goodman
Slovacek: Kieron Moore
Hicks: Angus O’Brien
Ray McAffey: Liam Oh
Sgt. Knox: Zach Roerig
Sgt. Howitt: Nicholas Logan
Sgt. Sullivan: Max Parker
Sgt. Pitowski: Brett Dalton
Santos: Rico Paris
Barbara Cope: Vera Farmiga
Cody Bowman: Brandon Tyler Moore
Inner Cameron Double: Mattie Liptak
Ochoa: Johnathan Nieves
Alice: Troy L Johnson
Mo Mason: Logan Gould
Jones: Jack Kay
Major Wilkinson: Sachin Bhatt
Harlan: Anthony Marble
Sgt. Maitra: Beau Mirchoff
Ji-Yeong: Joy Osmanski
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.