Netflix viewers have all been saying the same thing about a new coming-of-age TV series that dropped earlier this week.
January is notoriously quiet when it comes to film and TV releases but 2024 is turning that annual plight on its head.
The release slate on Netflix alone is phenomenal and subscribers have already been treated to Kevin Hart’s Lift, Daniel Levy’s directorial debut Good Grief and season two of Break Point.
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If you’re a TV fanatic or identify as a cinephile then you also have Queer Eye season eight, crime drama Griselda and The Kitchen to look forward to this month.
Before then though there’s another series that deserves your attention - a ‘fantastic’ offering set in 1908s suburban Brisbane.
Check out the trailer below - warning: contains strong language:
The seven-part limited offering that has viewers ranting and raving across social media is called Boy Swallows Universe, and it stars newcomer Felix Cameron as protagonist Eli Bell.
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Based on the semi-autographical book of the same name by Australian author Trent Dalton, the series follows the 13-year-old's upbringing.
The working class youth has had it tough due to his stepfather’s involvement with selling drugs and his mother’s issues with taking them.
However, as the Queensland native grows, he attempts to save his mum, Frances (Phoebe Tonkin), by engaging with the criminal underworld.
As per Netflix, the Boy Swallows Universe synopsis reads: “A young boy growing up in the suburbs of 190s Brisbane faces the harsh realities of life - and the looming dangers that threaten his family.”
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Following the show’s release on January 11, viewers have taken to social media to express their adoration for the mature project.
One X (formerly Twitter) user wrote: “Just spent the last 7 hours crying on and off, Boy Swallows Universe was fantastic.”
A second said: “Watching Boy Swallows Universe on Netflix and loving it. Stunning acting. A fantastic story. Have you started watching it? What do you think? Congratulations to @TrentDalton.”
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“The lead kid actors in Boy Swallows Universe on Netflix absolutely crush their performances,” gushed a third. “Some heavy subject matter and they knock it out of the park.”
Another fan took to the platform and wrote: “I just binge-watched Boy Swallows Universe over two nights! I absolutely loved it, and I couldn't stop watching it.
“I felt a range of emotions. Love, pride, fear, laughter & tears, as I could relate to some of it,” they continued. “10 out of 10. Congrats to the writer, producer and fabulous cast!”
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Amazingly, it isn’t just fans who are obsessed with the John Collee-written show.
According to the popular review site Rotten Tomatoes, critics have given the offering an average Tomatometer score of 86 percent.
And on IMDb, the suburban-based drama has an average 8/10 star rating.
If you’re a fan of true stories then you’ll also be interested to know that Boy Swallows Universe is actually loosely based on the author Dent’s childhood.
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Opening up about his life to the Townsville Bulletin, he said: “I don’t have enough words in the book to go on about all the things my mum survived, things that other people would have succumbed to.
“My mum went away for two years just like Frankie Bell does in the book.
“Everything that happened in that passage in the book with the kid wanting to see his mum is pretty close to the bone for me."
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So, if you like the sound of Boy Swallows Universe then all seven episodes are available to stream on Netflix now.
Topics: Film and TV, Netflix
Ella Scott