Boys in the Trees

A random pick and a mix movie I had no knowledge of the film going in I happily went in with no expectations and walked away remarkably pleased.

Boys in the Trees is an Australian feature movie that is quite frankly genre breaking. Horror? Drama? Thriller? It's so hard to pin it down to one, though I will say the cover art will have you making incorrect assumptions.

It's a coming of age movie about a young man who is part of the "Cool kids". One day on the skate park he witnesses his best friend bullying another boy not knowing that single event would change everything.

For a fair chunk of the movie I'll be honest I thought I wasn't going to like it. I didn't like many of the characters, I couldn't get behind the protagonist and deemed the plot a bit of a jumbled mess.

Now by the end they'd turned much of that around, though the plot is still very jumbled. Thankfully it does make up for that for the most part and when the credits rolled I was hit with a wave of emotions and very thankful that I had come across this film.

It only ended moments ago but I'm left feeling it's going to stay with me for a while. It's thought provoking, powerful and not even remotely shallow alike most films these days.

With an awesome soundtrack, competent performances and some great writing I can confidently recommend Boys in the Trees to anyone seeking something that little bit different.

The Good:

Awesome soundtrack

Very good visuals

Some great writing

Powerful stuff

The Bad:

Some character flaws

Certainly won't appeal to everyone

Boys in the Trees is a coming-of-age film, despite many streaming services mislabeling it as a horror. There's only one scare in the film; however, the real horror in this film is the fear of growing up, which is executed flawlessly through the performances of the actors, the 90s/Halloween setting, and the surreal tone of the film. The only thing bringing down this film is the ending, which is not only regrettably predictable, but it also renders some of the previous scenes nonsensical. Worth watching for the excellent performances and the perfect representation of a child/teen's view of growing up.

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.

I went into this film knowing nothing about it, just expecting a mild horror movie with no substance. This movie is not horror at all, but that shouldn't deter you from watching it. It's unlike most films and I don't really know what you would classify this as, all I know is something about it really touched me. This movie has a lot going on at times, but it focuses a bit on being true to yourself and standing up for what is right. It's also about not losing sight of your dreams, and facing your past and the mistakes you've made, especially when they affect other people. It's a coming of age tale set in the late nineties on Halloween so it's oozing with nostalgia. This movie will definitely not be for everyone but I personally enjoyed it and the cast. Toby Wallace does an incredible job portraying his character and the broad emotions he experiences. The surreal element took me by surprise but it added a level of magic to the story that I quite enjoyed. It's hard to rate this because I don't think it's one of the greatest movies I've ever seen but I can't get it out of my mind either. It was a journey that left me in tears. You just have to watch it and decide for yourself.