Netflix’s new limited series Boy Swallows Universe (11 January 2024), based on the award-winning novel of the same name by Trent Dalton, is a beautifully executed story about boyhood, families torn apart and seeking justice. Set in the suburbs of 1980s Brisbane, Australia, the story is centred around protagonist Eli Bell (Felix Cameron, then Zac Burgess), who becomes involved in the town’s thriving heroin market to help out his dealer stepdad, Lyle (Travis Fimmel). When Lyle is kidnapped, it is up to Eli to get to the bottom of his disappearance with the help of local journalist Caitlyn Spies (Sophie Wilde). Aided by his selectively mute brother Gus (Lee Halley), who can see the future, Eli strives to expose the powerful people who silently facilitate the corrupt, drug-addicted town. Along the way, Eli combats school bullies, the prison system, and murderers in an attempt to expose the people who took his stepdad away from his family.

A series knitted with a wonderful amalgamation of ruthless grit and adolescent hope for a brighter future

Boy Swallows Universe is a series knitted with a wonderful amalgamation of ruthless grit and adolescent hope for a brighter future. The lives of Eli (Cameron) and Gus (Halley) are built on instability, from their mother’s (Phoebe Tonkin) heroin addiction, their estranged father’s (Simon Baker) alcoholism to their ex-con babysitter Slim (Bryan Brown), the boys are surrounded by people who they love fiercely but who could be taken from them at any moment. Though unconventional and dysfunctional, their family keeps them fighting through the hardships thrown at them.

Perhaps the most surprisingly captivating element of Boy Swallows Universe is the underlying tone of enchanting otherworldliness that underpins the series. Eli’s older brother Gus (Halley) has an unusual ability to see snippets of the future, which he relays to his brother by tracing out short phrases with his finger.

Perhaps the most surprisingly captivating element of Boy Swallows Universe is the underlying tone of enchanting otherworldliness that underpins the series

This ability provides the story with a transcendental tone that contrasts the grittier moments of the show, providing intrigue to an otherwise derelict and impoverished world that the series presents. This is furthered by the integration of scenes where Eli and Gus float through outer space in a car whilst objects from their childhood pass alongside them, an image that is later grounded in reality but nonetheless adds to the otherworldly tone of Boy Swallows Universe.

The triumph of Boy Swallows Universe perhaps lies in the acting performances of its cast. This includes the phenomenal performance by Phoebe Tonkin, who plays Frances, Eli and Gus’ mother. Struggling with a heroin addiction, Frances (Tonkin) is consistently plagued by the temptation of drugs and fights the battles of relapse and withdrawal twice in the series, which Tonkin portrays in a manner that is brilliantly raw and devastatingly distressing. Lee Halley, who portrays Eli’s older brother, Gus, is a new face in the industry who proves his talent in Boy Swallows Universe. Despite playing a selectively mute character for much of the series, his ability to speak with his eyes means he portrays Gus’ enchanting demeanour and omniscient abilities with great success.

I think this dedication to clinging onto innocence and hope in a world of corruption is what makes Boy Swallows Universe so captivating

Some have questioned the way in which the TV adaptation of Boy Swallows Universe strays from the level of grittiness provided in Dalton’s novel and have critiqued Cameron and Burgess’ portrayal of Eli as a character too innocent for the world he lives in. However, I think this dedication to clinging onto innocence and hope in a world of corruption is what makes Boy Swallows Universe so captivating as a series. The final episode does feel rushed in places and perhaps falls short of portraying the aftermath of heartbreak in response to the losses Eli has faced along the way of this story. Additionally, one cannot help but feel slightly uncomfortable with the relationship that transpires between older Eli (Burgess) and Caitlyn Spies (Wilde), who is eight years his senior and initially meets Eli (Cameron) when he is thirteen years old.

Despite this, Boy Swallows Universe succeeds as an excellently executed adaptation of a much-loved Australian novel. The story is powerfully told, and its whimsical tone, grounded in a setting of profound darkness, makes for an enchanting and heartbreaking series that promises to make you smile and cry throughout. Boy Swallows Universe is one of those rare shows that successfully insist its viewers feel every emotion the characters feel, a skill that alone makes it deserving of a watch.

Rating: 4/5 

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