Boy Swallows Universe

Available on Netflix

Boy Swallows Universe, Netflix’s adaptation of Trent Dalton’s acclaimed novel, is a great example of a series that starts off strongly but fails to sustain momentum, ultimately meandering to a relatively inert finish.

Its first two episodes invoke a cacophony of emotions, thanks in no small part to Felix Cameron and Lee Tiger Halley’s solid performances as Eli and Gus, two brothers whose adolescence is upended by their unstable home life. Both actors are served well by John Collee’s screenplay, the tone of which oscillates between discomforting trauma and self-deprecating Australian humour, as is Travis Fimmel, who also shines as the boy’s affable, drug-dealing stepfather.

Sadly, after the engrossing denouement of its second episode, Boy Swallows Universe begins to incorporate fantastical elements that eventually veer it away from the grounded, Animal Kingdom-esque storytelling that initially make it so compelling. What we get in its place is a big-hearted but familiar teen tale of youth overcoming adversity in ways that are implausible at best, and downright silly at worst.

Still, even as its plot begins to depreciate, the show remains well acted throughout, with Phoebe Tonkin excelling as the protagonist’s troubled mother and Simon Baker also turning in a dependably sturdy performance as their equally pained patriarch.