Trent Dalton’s coming of age novel “Boy Swallows Universe” has been adapted by Netflix into a 7 part series that will have you moving through emotions as each episode handles thought provoking moments through the lens of a child.
“Boy Swallows Universe, the whole double meaning of that is, you swallow the good stuff and you swallow the bad stuff and then you gotta spit it out as fireworks”
Set amid the small-time heroin trade in 1980s Brisbane, which leads to their mother’s imprisonment, the story follows young boy Eli Bell portrayed brilliantly by Felix Cameron and his mute brother Gus skillfully portrayed by Lee Hailey as they come to terms with the harsh realities of life and that not everything can be so black and white.
In the series, actors Phoebe Tonkin and Simon Baker play Eli’s parents Frances and Robert, bringing with them an emotionally stirring, haunting and grounded look into substance abuse that will linger in your minds long after leaving your screen. Along with them is Travis Fimmel as step-father Lyle and Bryan Brown as real-life criminal Slim Halliday both artfully drawing you into the story every time they appear.
When approached about the adaption the thoughts that convinced Trent Dalton to jump on board were “He knew about brotherhood, and the power of family and the power of love to overcome everything”.
Check out the trailer below:
