Netflix BOOTS official poster – Miles Heizer series review by LEWIS Magazine.
Netflix’s BOOTS Review – A Sharp, Heartfelt Coming-of-Age Drama Marching to Its Own Beat
Netflix’s BOOTS is not your average military drama. Set against the rigid backdrop of a 1990s US Marine Corps boot camp, this one-hour comedic series subverts expectation by blending sharp humour with a disarming tenderness rarely found in the genre. At its core lies the friendship between Cameron Cope (Miles Heizer) and Ray McAffey (Liam Oh) two young men navigating the brutality of training, the politics of masculinity, and the unspoken danger of queerness at a time when being gay in the military was still forbidden. The result is a bold, emotionally charged, and surprisingly funny exploration of identity, resilience, and belonging a rare show that earns both its stripes and its sentiment.
The Story
Netflix’s latest offering, BOOTS, arrives with the kind of bold ambition that promises more than mere entertainment, a coming‑of‑age dramedy set within the raw surroundings of 1990s US Marine Corps boot camp, adapted from The Pink Marine by Greg Cope White and brought to life by creator/co‑showrunner Andy Parker and showrunner Jennifer Cecil, with legendary producer Norman Lear lending his signature social conscience as executive producer.
The series centres on Cameron Cope (Miles Heizer), a directionless, closeted young man from Louisiana who follows his best friend Ray McAffey (Liam Oh) into the Marines at a time when being gay in the US military remained illegal. Alongside a diverse ensemble of recruits, Cameron and Ray embark on a brutal journey of training, identity, and belonging amid one of America’s most unforgiving institutions.
“Boots is a rare hybrid of toughness and tenderness.”
From the outset, BOOTS distinguishes itself, blending the intense physical demands of boot camp with the quiet emotional chaos of self-discovery and friendship.
BOOTS. (L to R) Blake Burt as John Bowman, Zach Roerig as Knox, and Miles Heizer as Cameron Cope in Episode 101 of Boots. Cr. Alfonso “Pompo” Bresciani/Netflix © 2023
Why Netflix’s BOOTS Works
Heizer is an inspired choice for Cameron: vulnerable, grounded, and quietly defiant. Opposite him, Oh’s Ray provides emotional ballast their chemistry forms the series’ emotional core. Their friendship becomes the battleground between conformity and individuality, laughter and survival.
The supporting cast provides rich layers, from hardened drill instructors to the motley crew of recruits who oscillate between cruelty and camaraderie. BOOTS shines most in its smaller, reflective moments: two boys trading secrets after lights out, the silence after a failed drill, the sharp laughter shared to cut through fear.
The 1990s setting, an era marked by “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” imbues every moment with unspoken risk. Beneath the rigid rules and masculine rituals lies a quiet, universal longing, to be seen, to belong, to be free.
Thematic Ambition
At its core, BOOTS explores the duality of identity, who we are versus who we must appear to be. It’s a story about uniforms, literal and psychological. Cameron’s sexuality isn’t portrayed as revelation; it’s survival. The tension isn’t “coming out” but “not being caught.” This shift reframes the familiar queer arc into something deeper, a meditation on secrecy, shame, and endurance.
The series also critiques institutional masculinity: the Marine Corps as both forge and cage. BOOTS asks, what does it mean to be a man in a system that demands the destruction of tenderness? The answer lies in the bonds the characters form, the humour that keeps them human, and the courage to exist beyond permission.
Performances and Direction
Norman Lear’s involvement ensures BOOTS never drifts into caricature. The writing is whip-smart and tonally precise one moment biting with satire, the next quietly devastating.
Heizer delivers his most complex performance to date, his face constantly caught between fear and defiance. Oh’s portrayal of Ray is the series’ emotional spine, giving BOOTS its soul.
Cecil’s showrunning blends cinematic warmth with TV intimacy, ensuring each episode breathes.
BOOTS. Miles Heizer as Cameron Cope behind the scenes of Episode 101 of Boots. Cr. Alfonso “Pompo” Bresciani/Netflix © 2023
Weaknesses & Gaps
For all its strengths, BOOTS occasionally plays it safe. Some reviewers have noted that the boot camp’s brutality is toned down, its institutional critique softened. The show’s irreverence sometimes clashes with its sincerity, jokes land seconds before emotional moments. And while its themes are profound, its final act leaves several threads unresolved.
Still, those imperfections are small compared to the risk it takes, and the empathy it earns.
Cultural Resonance
Released in a year when conversations around identity and belonging dominate global culture, BOOTS feels timely and necessary. The Pentagon’s criticism of the series as “woke garbage” only reinforces its importance, proof that art still has the power to provoke.
At a time when queer representation in television often falls into repetition, BOOTS offers something rarer: a human story set in an unexpected place, where love and friendship become acts of rebellion.
BOOTS. (L to R) Max Parker as Sergeant Sullivan and Miles Heizer as Cameron Cope in Episode 106 of BOOTS. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025
Final Verdict
At eight episodes, BOOTS never overstays its welcome. It’s ambitious, funny, heartfelt, and tender in ways few shows dare to be. This is not simply a coming-of-age drama — it’s a meditation on what it costs to belong. And while the world of the Marines may feel far from ours, its message resonates deeply: the bravest thing you can be is yourself.
“A show that dares to wear its heart and its humour on its sleeve.”
For viewers seeking something smart, soulful, and distinctly human, BOOTS is a must-watch one of Netflix’s finest releases of 2025.
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