Rent The New Boy (2023)
2.9 of 5 from 101 ratings
1h 33min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- A mysterious new arrival disturbs the delicate balance of a remote monastery run by renegade nun (Cate Blanchett) in this captivating story of spiritual struggle and the cost of survival. The arrival of the new hoy (newcomer Aswan Reid) unsettles the monastery hut enlivens Sister Eileen's fervour for Christ to be his guide, and as his Indigenous spirituality clashes with Sister Eileen's teachings, she must make a choice: uphold tradition or embrace what comes next...
- Actors:
- Cate Blanchett, Aswan Reid, Deborah Mailman, Wayne Blair, Shane Brady, Tyrique Brady, Tyler Spencer, Laiken Woolmington, Kailem Miller, Kyle Miller, Tyzailin Roderick, Nathan Lawson, Peter Jupiter, Kit Fortune, Shane Mckenzie Brady, Les Rice, Ken Radley, Mike Foenander, Patrick Prior
- Directors:
- Warwick Thornton
- Producers:
- Cate Blanchett, Lorenzo De Maio, Georgie Pym, Kath Shelper, Andrew Upton
- Writers:
- Warwick Thornton
- Studio:
- Signature Entertainment
- Genres:
- Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
- Countries:
- Australia
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 03/06/2024
- Run Time:
- 97 minutes
- Languages:
- English Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles:
- English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.40:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
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Reviews (2) of The New Boy
Strange Drama! - The New Boy review by GI
This Australian drama must be a little too subtle for me because I found it a disappointing affair and the enigmatic narrative far too underwhelming. It's set in an ignoble period of Australian history when the Government had a policy of taking indigenous children from their families and placing them in strict orphanages to be re-educated and have christianity forced upon them. Yet here we have such an orphanage run by Sister Eileen (Cate Blanchett) who has hidden the death of the priest who ran the place and whilst enforcing christian ceremony and ideas on her charges runs the place in a benevolent way. Little of the impact of the trauma is evident here. The arrival of a young boy (Aswan Reid) and his strange manner affects Eileen especially as he appears to have some sort of strange power and he becomes obsessed with the statue of the crucified Christ much to her concern. Is he Christ reborn? Or is it all hallucinations? Who knows. The drama is far too light and easy and needed a more dark edge to grip what seems to be going on here. It's a difficult film to unravel but appeared to me to be a condemnation of organised religion over the native spiritualism that the boy possibly possesses. I found the ending anti-climactic and overall the film lacks the weight and force that the narrative needed.
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Intriguing - The New Boy review by mK
I enjoyed the film. It kept a certain tension throughout as the boy doesn’t speak, so his actions are unpredictable and unexplained. I will forgive the hocus pocus bits as it adds to the metaphor I presume is made by the ending. Whether the ending is sad, or hopeful depends on your view. I gave an extra star for originality. I like a car chase and zombies too, but a quiet reflective film has its place.
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