Boy (2012)

Feeling a bit nostalgic for the 80s and peckish for a change in scenery? Slip on your favorite dungarees, lace up your best tennis shoes and spend the day on the east coast of New Zealand before the 90s.

The 2010 film Boy, directed by Taika Waititi (Hunt for the Wilderpeople, 2016) follows a young preteen, called Boy(James Rolleston), who lives in New Zealand and absolutely adores Michael Jackson. Boy’s father returns from prison, out of the blue, in search of a bag of money he buried years prior, when Boy’s grandmother happens to leave for a quick trip. Set in the 80’s, Boy is faced with the reality of his absent father who isn’t all he imagined him to be. 

Waititi takes the viewer on a heartfelt adventure in this coming-of-age dramedy. Boy imitates Michael Jackson in his free time, while his little brother practices his superpowers. Boy does his best to not get in trouble but some peers from his class push him to his limits. When his dad appears he doesn’t set the best example of a father or a noble man, asking Boy to not call him “dad”. With all the voices speaking into his life, Boy must decide who he’s going to listen to and who he’s going to be.