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  • Netflix
  • Jan 11, 2024
  • Netflix
  • Jan 11, 2024
Boy Swallows Universe

Summary Set in the 1980 Brisbane, 13-year-old Eli (Felix Cameron), who is sent with his mute brother (Lee Tiger Halley) to live with his father Robert (Simon Baker) after his mother (Phoebe Tonkin) is jailed in the adaptation of Trent Dalton's novel of the same name.

  • Netflix
  • Jan 11, 2024
  • Netflix
  • Jan 11, 2024
Boy Swallows Universe
Season 1
Season Premiere: Jan 11, 2024
Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 4 Critic Reviews
68
User Score Universal Acclaim Based on 7 User Ratings
8.7
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Summary Set in the 1980 Brisbane, 13-year-old Eli (Felix Cameron), who is sent with his mute brother (Lee Tiger Halley) to live with his father Robert (Simon Baker) after his mother (Phoebe Tonkin) is jailed in the adaptation of Trent Dalton's novel of the same name.

Season Episodes

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Episode 1 • Jan 11, 2024 • 55 m
Boy Smells Rat
Eli starts the day with a turbulent driving lesson from Slim. School bullies confront Eli with a challenge, but a teacher catches them in the act.
Episode 2 • Jan 11, 2024 • 51 m
Boy Gets Chop
Lyle shows Eli and Gus around his workplace and introduces them to his boss, Tytus Broz. Later, a surprise visit to Eli's house leads to trouble.
Episode 3 • Jan 11, 2024 • 49 m
Run Boy Run
Frankie gets herself in trouble for protecting her sons. Eli searches for a way back home to look for his stepdad - and his missing stash.
Episode 4 • Jan 11, 2024 • 57 m
Boy Loses Dad
Caitlyn continues investigating Lyle's disappearance. Accompanied by police, the school's guidance counselor checks on the boys.
Episode 5 • Jan 11, 2024 • 57 m
Boy Takes Flight
Eli asks for a big favor from Slim's old acquaintance and comes across a major clue about Lyle's disappearance.
Episode 6 • Jan 11, 2024 • 55 m
Boy Seeks Work
Eli and Gus show Frankie what they've planned for their future. Later, Eli attempts to get a job as a journalist at the local paper.
Episode 7 • Jan 11, 2024 • 1 h 17 m
Boy Meets End
Eli finds an unlikely source for a story to submit to The Courier-Mail. New evidence leads Caitlyn to uncover the truth about the criminal underworld.
Episode 7 • Jan 11, 2024 • 1 h 17 m
Boy Meets End
Eli finds an unlikely source for a story to submit to The Courier-Mail. New evidence leads Caitlyn to uncover the truth about the criminal underworld.

Top Cast

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 4 Critic Reviews
68
75% Positive
3 Reviews
25% Mixed
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 4 Critic Reviews
68
75% Positive
3 Reviews
25% Mixed
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
80
Jan 11, 2024
Somehow, Boy Swallows Universe pulls off a pretty dark coming-of-age story without being depressing or hopeless, thanks to some deft writing and fantastic performances by the cast.
By Joel Keller FULL REVIEW
67
Jan 9, 2024
There’s a solid downbeat family dramedy nested inside Boy Swallows Universe, meditating on the compromises that come with living at the bottom rung of society. (A scene in which Lyle and an upper-middle-class housewife haggle over the price of a used Atari speaks volumes.) But the show doesn’t seem to realize that; it thinks that we also want a conspiracy thriller, an after-school special, and a Dickensian tale of childhood suffering.
By Jenna Scherer FULL REVIEW
63
Jan 9, 2024
As a piece of social commentary on working-class life in suburban Australia, Boy Swallows Universe is hair-raising and charming in equal measure. As a crime drama, it feels gratuitously melodramatic. The denouement in particular, which liberally employs exaggerated plot devices and stock villains, eschews the light touch of the show’s promising early episodes.
By Amelia Stout FULL REVIEW
60
Jan 11, 2024
Uneven pacing can oftentimes feel as though the series is slow without meaning to be, still providing engaging dialogue but failing to completely captivate. The drama itself is melodramatic and packed full of moments of inspiration designed to tickle the eyes with tears, but the more cynical viewer will simply enjoy them, not be bowled over.
By Morgan Cormack FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

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User Score
Universal Acclaim Based on 7 User Ratings
8.7
100% Positive
7 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Universal Acclaim Based on 7 User Ratings
8.7
100% Positive
7 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

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