
Boy (2010) on Netflix
In 1984 on a New Zealand farm, eleven-year-old Boy, a Michael Jackson fan, is left minding the house and his brother Rocky. His long-absent father and two friends arrive.
- Netflix3.8/5
- IMDb7.5/1031,885 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes88%
Trailer
Plot summary
The time and place are late 1984 in the small settlement of Raukokore on the North Island of New Zealand. Preteen Alamein Ranginui, called Boy by most who know him, is a Maori under the care of his Nan - his paternal grandmother - as his mother, Joanie, died seven years ago in childbirth, and his father, also named Alamein, who he doesn't really remember, has long been in jail for robbery. They live with several of his cousins and his seven year old brother Rocky. While Rocky has been made to believe he possesses magical powers, Boy is prone to fantasy, often dreaming about a life with his father and the person with who he is most obsessed, Michael Jackson. He also has a crush on a female classmate named Chardonnay. While Nan takes off for a week or so to attend a funeral in Wellington, she leaves Boy in charge of the house and the rest of the children. During that time, they receive an unexpected visit from Alamein, now out of jail, and two of his friends, Juju and Chuppa. Because of his fantasies about his father, Boy welcomes the three into the house with open arms, and plans on taking Rocky to leave with them when they go, as he believes that's what families do. Boy learns that they have come for "buried treasure" - in reality the money from the robbery, the exact location where Alamein buried it on the property he can't remember - which only reinforces Boy's notion that their dad and he and Rocky can live a good life together.
Cast
James Rollestonas Boy
- Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whituas Rocky
Taika Waititias Alamein
- Moerangi Tihoreas Dynasty
- Cherilee Martinas Kelly
RickyLee Waipuka-Russellas Chardonnay (as Rickylee Waipuka-Russell)
- Haze Rewetias Dallas
- Maakariini Butleras Murray
- Rajvinder Eriaas Tane
- Manihera Rangiuaiaas Kingi
Darcy Ray Flavell-Hudsonas Holden
Rachel Houseas Aunty Gracey
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Boy (2010)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- James Rolleston was not the first choice for Boy: another actor was already in place when Rolleston turned up for a costume fitting as an extra. Waititi gave him an audition, reviewed the clips, and offered him the role two days before shooting began.
- Boy became the highest-grossing New Zealand film of all time at the local box office, taking the record from The World's Fastest Indian, which had held it for five years.
- Waititi raised $110,000 on the crowdfunding website Kickstarter to pay for distributing the film in the United States; at the time this was the most prominent example of crowdfunding in New Zealand.





















