Boasting magical realism, darkish twists, brash ’80s Australiana, suburban crime, and an unforgettable younger protagonist, Trent Dalton’s 2018 novel Boy Swallows Universe is an astonishing learn. It is the form of guide that settles itself in your veins, a heartbreaking, stunning, and hilarious journey by means of younger adolescence, unbridled creativeness, and the brutality of maturity.

In a rare adaptation, Netflix sequence Boy Swallows Universe spectacularly visualises Dalton’s novel, with author John Collee staying mighty true to the supply materials and making good selections to navigate the violence, creativeness, and humour inside it. With an impressive forged and sharp, energetic course by Bharat Nalluri, Jocelyn Moorhouse, and Kim Mordaunt, Boy Swallows Universe sends you barrelling into Brisbane within the Nineteen Eighties, and smack bang into the lifetime of younger Eli Bell, performed by proficient younger actor Felix Cameron.

Boy Swallows Universe is the stuff TV model goals are made from, with a quickly paced script that is flippant and humorous then lethal critical, a number of the finest TV performances you may see this 12 months, and severely sinister narrative turns.

What’s Boy Swallows Universe about?

Lee Tiger Halley and Felix Cameron as Gus and Eli, chatting to Bryan Brown as Slim Halliday.
Credit score: Netflix

Set within the working class, south-western Brisbane suburb of Darra in 1985, the sequence revolves round one of the dependable, smart-mouthed narrators you may encounter: 13-year-old Eli Bell (Cameron, later performed by Zac Burgess as older Eli). As if coping with college bullies like Darren Dang (Zachary Wan) and perfecting your handball serve weren’t sufficient to cope with at this age, Eli’s household life can be fairly turbulent stuff, but it surely’s not for lack of affection or his grown-up guardians merely attempting to get by. 

Eli’s mom Frankie (Phoebe Tonkin) is a recovering addict, his stepdad Lyle (Travis Fimmel) is a scrambling smack vendor, and his father Robert (Simon Baker) is out of the image due to booze. Eli’s closest confidantes are his older brother Gus (Lee Tiger Halley), who communicates solely by means of cryptic air-writing solely Eli can half-translate, and his finest pal Slim Halliday (Bryan Brown), an ex-con of Boggo Highway Jail. Just like the novel, Eli’s inside reflections within the sequence come by means of narrations of his letters to pen pal and fellow Boggo Highway inmate Alex Bermuda (Adam Briggs).

Eli’s household life will get torpedoed when Lyle will get in over his head and infamous, vicious fixer Ivan Kroll (Christopher James Baker) begins circling, and he meets weirdly plastic Brisbane enterprise magnate Tytus Broz (Anthony LaPaglia). When Eli begins speaking with a thriller voice on the finish of a hidden phone in his home, there’s lots of solutions for him to seek out. So he enlists the assistance of his all-time crush, Courier Mail crime journalist Caitlyn Spies (Sophie Wilde), to resolve all of it — and what they uncover is fairly rattling harrowing. 

Boy Swallows Universe is choc-full of ’80s Australiana

Travis Fimmel as Lyle.
Credit score: Netflix

Each Dalton’s guide and the sequence capitalise on the precise aesthetic, sounds, and cultural touchpoints distinctive to ’80s suburban Queensland and Australia. All captured by means of dynamic cinematography from administrators of images Shelley Farthing-Dawe and Mark Wareham, the sequence drops its characters in a kitschy ocean of crimson brick buildings, willowy jacaranda bushes, busted thongs (or flip flops for everybody else), uneven mullets, cans of Quik, luggage of musk sticks, enjoying Atari on the carpet, college canteen lamingtons, and This is Humphrey and Wheel of Fortune on TV.

The sound of laughing kookaburras and warbling magpies runs by means of most scenes, Males at Work’s “Be Good Johnny” blares on Lyle’s automobile radio, Skyhooks’ “Horror Film” soundtracks hospital break-outs — as an Australian dwelling within the UK, I used to be immediately homesick listening to the sounds of Boy Swallows Universe. It is totally realised, genuine world-building, one through which characteristically Australian upbeat, straight-talking humour starkly contrasts with the violence and heavy happenings within the narrative (if you would like extra of this, watch Deadloch). It is a notably powerful act to drag off, displaying grim occasions by means of social realism whereas utilizing slapstick humour to lighten the room — for instance, watching Eli’s alcoholic dad Robert set his pyjamas on fireplace with turps he desperately sipped should not be humorous, however man, it truly is.

Boy Swallows Universe makes use of magical realism to melt the blow

Eli Bell has one hell of an creativeness — fortunately.
Credit score: Netflix

A flippant skip by means of childhood and younger adolescence Boy Swallows Universe isn’t, with its narrative twists getting extra chilling and violent because the story goes on. Within the novel, Dalton makes use of magical realism to cushion the sharpness of actuality for Eli and Gus, as traumatic reminiscences turn into lovely dreamscapes, represented by means of Gus’ cryptic artwork and surrealist flashback sequences.

Regardless of their grown-ups’ various vary of efforts, these children are continually failed by adults, and the energy they’ve in themselves and as a duo is pure magic. And in a pleasant contact for the sequence, every episode comes with an illustrated title card seemingly signed by Gus.

Boy Swallows Universe boasts an distinctive forged

Gus and Eli assembly Anthony LaPaglia as Tytus Broz.
Credit score: Netflix

As our fearless, unfiltered, brave protagonist Eli, Penguin Bloom star Cameron is outstanding, delivering Eli’s uncooked emotion and wit with mature finesse. Plunged into grown up areas, he delivers an emotional plea, a savage quip, or an astute commentary from the center. In a pleasant contact, the sequence has Eli primarily dressing up as Lyle, accompanying his Tasmanian Satan-tattooed stepdad on dodgy offers sporting matching patterned shirts and aviator sun shades. 

Becoming a member of him is the refined, candy Lee Tiger Halley as Eli’s protecting older brother Gus, whose determination to not converse boosts his good creativeness and observant nature. Eli and Gus’ bond is difficult to explain, and in reality the novel makes it so particular that it needs to be arduous to copy for the display screen. But younger actors Cameron and Halley handle to craft a seemingly easy camaraderie, clinging to one another by means of heavy moments.

Travis Fimmel as Lyle and Phoebe Tonkin as Frankie.
Credit score: Netflix

As for the grown-ups, Raised by Wolves star Travis Fimmel would not miss a beat as Eli’s stepdad Lyle, careening round in his Datsun C20, cooking up sporadic hare-brained schemes, and flickering from upbeat optimism to understandably hair-wringing panic. Fimmel is completely paired with Babylon‘s Phoebe Tonkin, who encapsulates the flawed and big-hearted Frankie, navigating habit, younger motherhood, and turbulent, abusive relationships and urging her household to recognise the ability of “respectability”.

Adam Briggs as Alex Bermuda.
Credit score: Netflix

Bryan Brown is superb because the guide’s quiet hero Slim Halliday, doling out sage recommendation to younger Eli and offering a fancy however robust paternal determine for him, and Adam Briggs’ deadpan supply as inmate and pen pal Alex Bermuda is a continuing sequence spotlight. The ever-excellent Deborah Mailman makes each second rely as caring steerage counselor Poppy Birkbeck whereas Speak to Me/Every thing Now‘s Sophie Wilde resists the urge to infuse journalist Caitlyn Spies with “what a scoop!” power — as an alternative she takes no bullshit from crooked detective Tim Cotton, performed with utter ’80s sleaze by Toby Schmitz.

Sophie Wilde as Caitlyn Spies.
Credit score: Netflix

And one of many excellent performances within the sequence is Simon Baker because the boys’ absent, alcoholic father Robert. Rampaging by means of his book-filled, filthy home, Baker’s Robert fails miserably as a mother or father for Eli and Gus, continually hanging on by a thread.

A heavy whirlwind of crime, coming-of-age, and distinctive performances, Boy Swallows Universe is every part the TV sequence needs to be and extra. Making good edits within the storyline, increasing characters past Eli’s perspective, and making a mighty meal out of ’80s Australian cultural icons, this adaptation knocks it out of the park.

The best way to watch: Boy Swallows Universe is now streaming on Netflix.