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

Like some have written before me, I was ready for something in the vein of Lost Boys... Instead I was served an amazing coming-of-age story, a surreal depiction of how cruel kids can be - and what good they are capable of. Part memories, part imagination, add real life, myths, and a sprinkle of the paranormal - this is the recipe for a very good film.

A layered film that should have obligatory screenings at high-schools world wide. (I hope kids today get it)

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 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.