Boys in the Trees

It's a rare movie that makes you feel as though it was created just for you - but Boys In The trees hits the mark so perfectly on what it was like to be a teen in the Australian 90s that my level of empathy for the characters was off the charts.

The soundtrack is incredible, the cinematography is pure and the young Aussie leads have taken hold of the ambitious script with both hands and delivered performances that are nothing short of star-making. Toby Wallace as Corey and Mitzi Ruhlmann as Romany are particularly strong. Justin Holborow as the bully Jango also plays his part with true grit.

This is the evolution of the traditional coming of age tale, with the Writer/Director Nicholas Verso creating such an ethereal landscape you feel moments of 'What Dreams May Come' style fantasy seamlessly anchored by the exquisitely curated 90s Adelaide suburbia.

I absolutely adored this movie. Anyone who loves fantasy will adore it. It's a must-see for everyone who loves movies that straddle the line between fantasy and reality.

It is Halloween and a bunch of mean boys are going out to have some fun. One of them is starting to out-grow the group, especially when they pick on another boy he knows from when they were kids. The bullied kid black mails his old friend to spend the evening with him.

This is a coming of age film with a heavy under lying sense of menace, the horror element is very slight indeed.

The film has a slight surreal feel about it, all the adults leave the kids to run amok across town and everyone bumps into each other in the most unlikely of places.

There is a certain inevitability about this film that could be seen as predictability but I quite liked it.

The dynamics of the gang are portrayed with great zeal and shows how strong personalities can cloud the better judgement of others.

Well filmed, produced and acted. Some of the kids look a little bit old but their acting skills make up for it.

You will see the ending coming a mile off and there isn't much meat to the story but this was a very enjoyable Netflix watch.

A kind of coming of age flick set around Halloween in Southern Australia. A kid on the cusp of leaving town for college and better things and leaving behind his friends, family and everything he was. Over the course of a single night he reflects on his past through a meaningful encounter with an old childhood friend he left behind for his new cool group of mates.

This is a bildungsroman that goes through some familiar motions. It's about the ways in which we adapt during high school to survive. It's about the kids who don't and get left behind. It's about choosing what kind of person you grow up to be. It's all approached in a humane and thoughtful way. There aren't caricatures in this film - types and tropes perhaps but still flesh and blood. You might know where this film is going but still that doesn't prepare you for the journey.

There is a great middle segment involving a local girl who also dreams of leaving town for the big city. She's a smart and driven, though clearly taken for granted. She gives the eponymous "boys heads are in the trees" speech that helps prevent the movie from becoming overly serious about its own themes and hang-ups. There's surprising emotion to be found, including an end scene between two characters who have become opposites but still share a mutual love for each other.

There are scenes of mystery, wonder, darkness and humor. A day of the dead festival sequence with a cover of Live's "Lightning Crashes" mesmerizes. The soundtrack and the cinematography are top notch - slow motion kids on bikes set to "The Beautiful People", the color of fireworks as they pop in the night and a giant light-limned tree growing up out of the vast dark. This is a confident and tonally assured work that deserves to find a bigger audience.

There aren't many films from Australia I haven't liked and this is definitely one of them.

Superb acting from virtually all the cast and well filmed, so well filmed I would never have guessed it was Australia.

I figured out what it was all about quite early on but the story was still fascinatingly surreal and drew you into its mystery and the characters themselves; the angst of youth and the tribulations we all had to go through when we were young and in that way it will probably appeal more to older folks,.

Its not for everyone but if you are looking for horror or lots of action and cgi then its not for you - if you want to have your brain tweaked and your senses stretched then its one for you.

It's quite difficult to categorise this film, I found it quite special and original, something you don't come across every day. The idea itself is great and it really draws you in. The story develops slowly and it's not exactly straight forward, since it's a surreal journey it leaves you with linking a few things together on your own but it is not complex at all so don't get discouraged by it. Hats off to all the actors, a job very well done. The ending will not disappoint you either.

It got mixed reviews on this site so it's best just to see it and make up your own mind about it. I would definitely recommend it, especially if you are looking for something fresh, well-acted with a great soundtrack and something that leaves a lasting impression and requires a bit of thinking because, let's be honest, how many films actually do that nowadays.