Plot Summary – A New Zealand youth (James Rolleston) finds that his father (Taika Waititi) is a far cry from the heroic adventurer he’s imagined the man to be.

★★★★★ 

Watched 04 Mar, 2021

I liked this so much. I mean that’s kind of obvious by the fact that I gave it a five but damn this film is a technical masterpiece but also stays with you. Taika Waititi is turning out to be one of my favourite directors because everything that he makes has a purpose and I can’t really say that about all directors. Everything about this film was so well constructed. The atmosphere is pristine, it did with rural New Zealand what Call Me By Your Name did with the Italian countryside. I haven’t felt this immersed in a setting for a long time. Everything is so specific, the lingo, the quirks, the accent, you feel this rich layer that this world has been lived in and exists outside the film which is so important when you’re crafting a setting for any story. Taika’s writing is also brilliant as the titular ‘Boy’ slowly comes to a realization that the audience is aware of throughout the film. It’s a unique approach to a coming-of-age story and looks at a very different aspect than most films would. The cinematography is beautiful and every scene looks like it could be a great vacation. Taika balances the humor so well with the drama so you never feel like the tonal shifts taking places throughout the film are jarring. The child actors are also really good in their roles and are convincing as this family. I love how the character Rocky shows grief and the visual language of showing his ‘superpowers’ was so different and smart. For the budget it had, this film had no right to be this good but it’s a special special film. I can recommend this to anyone.

P.S – Egg is an amazing top-tier insult and I will use it all the time now