The Boy

A young boy is reunited with his absentee father in this quirky, bittersweet coming-of-age-story. It's set in 1984 and takes place on the coast of New Zealand where an 11-year-old schoolboy (James Rolleston) lives with his grandmother. Referred to as "Boy", he is delighted when his dad, Alamein (played by writer/director Taiki Waititi), suddenly returns home. However, it soon becomes clear that Alamein is a narcissistic deadbeat, and he only came back to find the money that he stashed before going to prison. There are some affecting moments as Boy realises that Alamein isn't the best dad in the world, but this isn't a sad, depressing affair. Instead, it is littered with deadpan humour and whimsical fantasy sequences, including a scene where Boy imagines his father re-enacting one of Michael Jackson's music videos. The film may be slight, but there's plenty of charm and wit to engage and amuse.