Good lord, how very Australian does this thing look? Acclaimed coming-of-age novel, Aussie rock bangers on the soundtrack, Bryan Brown… it ticks every box. From the much-lauded semi-autobiographical novel by Trent Dalton comes the new miniseries Boy Swallows Universe, which looks precision-engineered to emotionally wreck working class Australian film critics of a certain age, based on a sample size of one.
When is Boy Swallows Universe being released in the UK?
Boy Swallows Universe will be streaming exclusively in the UK on Netflix from January 11.
Boy Swallows Universe: Season 1
What is Boy Swallows Universe about?
Set in working class suburban Brisbane in the mid-80s, Boy Swallows Universe charts 13-year-old Eli Bell’s journey from innocence to wisdom as he juggles a host of problems you honestly wouldn’t wish on a teen, including an addict mother, alcoholic father, and drug dealer stepfather, with the most stable anchor in his life being ageing former criminal Slim. When his mother is jailed and his stepfather on the outs to a potentially fatal degree with notorious Brisbane drug kingpin Tytus Broz, Eli is going to have to grow up fast – and still deal with school, girls, and all the other essential elements of a modern bildungsroman.
The cast of Boy Swallows Universe
Felix Cameron, last seen in Penguin Bloom, is Eli; Phoebe Tonkin is his mother, Frances; Simon Baker is his father, Robert; Travis Fimmel is his stepfather, Lyle; Bryan Brown is Slim; Anthony LaPaglia is Tytus Broz; and Deborah Mailman, Sophie Wilde, Christopher James Baker, Zac Burgess, Lee Tiger Halley, HaiHa Le, and Isaac Strutt-Stevens are also on board.
Boy Swallows Universe trailer
Why we’re excited about Boy Swallows Universe
The book is one of those hardscrabble, heartfelt tomes that stay with you for life, and the trailer seems to capture that spirit, so we’re keen for this one. Using The Triffids didn’t lose them any points, either.
