Boy Swallows Universe (2024) mini-series recounts an emotional coming-of-age story of an Australian young boy – Eli Bell. So, his fascinating growing-up tale is set in Brisbane (Queensland) city during the 1980s era.
This limited series is based on Trent Dalton’s semi-biographical book Boy Swallows Universe. Many readers consider this novel to be a classic of Australian literature, therefore it was good to see its screen adaptation.
‘Boy Swallows Universe’ Won Our Hearts With Its Tales Of Retributions & Redemptions
Trailer: Boy Swallows Universe (2024) Mini-Series
Spoiler Free Review: Boy Swallows Universe (2024) Mini-Series
The storyline/plotline/summary/synopsis
In the early 1980s, Eli Bell and his dysfunctional family were living in Darra, a southwestern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. As we mentioned above, it is a coming-of-age story of the young kid Eli Bell.
Interestingly, this series follows the traditional three-act structure.
So, in Act I, we meet the happy-go-lucky Bell family members. The young child Eli Bell (Felix Cameron) is the narrator and the protagonist of this tale. Eli lives with his mother Frances Bell (Phoebe Tonkin), elder brother August ‘Gus’ Bell (Lee Tiger Halley), step-father Lyle Orlik (Travis Fimmel) and his family friend-cum-babysitter Arthur ‘Slim’ Halliday (Bryan Brown) in the rough and tough crime-infested neighbourhood of Darra.
Then, in Act II, we meet the real father of Eli – Robert Bell (Simon Baker), who steps up, when a tragedy hits the Bell family hard. Eli’s family is torn completely apart by the powerful criminals, but they persevere and decide to fight back. Finally, in Act III, Eli Bell (Zac Burgess) grows up into an intelligent young man. Not only does he try to bring his broken family together, but he also risks his all to bring down the antagonists.
Tough times don’t last, tough people like Eli (and his family members) do.
A heartwarming story of a young boy and his family members
As mentioned above, the source material of this limited series is based on the acclaimed book of the same title. It is inspired by author Trent Dalton’s unusual and uncommon childhood years spent in Brisbane.
{Spoiler Alert} A brief note about the ‘Boy Swallows Universe’ novel
Brisbane, 1983: A lost father, a mute brother, a mum in jail, a heroin dealer for a stepfather and a notorious criminal for a babysitter. It’s not as if Eli’s life isn’t complicated enough already. He’s just trying to follow his heart, learning what it takes to be a good man, but life just keeps throwing obstacles in the way – not least of which is Tytus Broz, the legendary Brisbane drug dealer.
But if Eli’s life is about to get a whole lot more serious. He’s about to fall in love. And, oh yeah, he has to break into Boggo Road Gaol on Christmas Day, to save his mum. (Source: Goodreads)
Both the youngsters, Eli Bell and August ‘Gus’ Bell, did not grow up under the best of circumstances. While growing up in a poor suburban neighbourhood, they were surrounded by crimes and criminal elements. Even their parents were fighting their demons. Despite the heavy odds stacked against them, these two boys never gave up on their dreams and aspirations. And ultimately the goodness of their beautiful souls won against the difficult times and powerful foes. Therefore, it did not come as a surprise to us, when its simplistic growing-up tale, won our hearts with its honesty. We loved its universal messages about love, family bonding, brotherhood, friendship, hardships, perseverance, etc. The inclusion of criminals added layers of thrilling mystery to it.
Both the direction & acting are top-class
The directors, Jocelyn Moorhouse, Kim Mordaunt and Bharat Nalluri have successfully adapted the fascinating book into a captivating series. They have painstakingly recreated the magic of the 1980 era and suburban life. However, not everything was good in those good old days. Given the harsh economic realities, the working class was struggling in those days too. The drug addiction and the drug business were tearing apart families.
Given such a bleak scenario, we were highly impressed by the young child actor Felix Cameron (Eli Bell), who charmed us with his exhilarating acting performance in the early part of the series. Felix looked natural while portraying the highly intelligent Eli. Also, the talented bunch of its ensemble cast members, Lee Tiger Halley (August ‘Gus’ Bell), Simon Baker (Robert Bell), Phoebe Tonkin (Frances Bell), Bryan Brown (Arthur ‘Slim’ Halliday), Anthony LaPaglia (Tytus Broz), Zac Burgess (young Eli Bell), etc. were equally good. All of them masterfully portrayed their supporting characters. It was a pleasure to watch the Bell family and friends in action.
The conclusion
We regret that we postponed our plans to watch it for almost six months because of its title. As some of us wrongly thought it was a sci-fi series, something to do with travelling into space and exploring the universe. Thankfully, one of our friends has read the book and told us about its interesting tale. Better late than never. We watched it this weekend, in our marathon watch category.
One of the wonderful aspects of this series is that it made us feel a whole gamut of emotions. So, while watching this heartfelt show, our team members felt a sense of adoration, admiration, appreciation, anger, surprise, disgust, enjoyment, fear, horror, interest, joy, nostalgia, relief, sadness, etc. But sadly, it is a limited series. As we are the suckers for the series (or movies) to end on a positive and happy note. The feel-good ending was uplifting. No wonder, watching it was a pleasant and joyous experience.
Rating: Boy Swallows Universe (2024) Mini-Series
| FM Rating | 4.00/5 |
Poster: Boy Swallows Universe (2024) Mini-Series
Key Details: Boy Swallows Universe (2024) Mini-Series
| Genre | Crime, Drama, Mystery |
| Original Language | English (Australia) |
| Season | One (1) Season| Limited Mini-Series |
| Episodes | Seven (7) Episodes |
| Writers | John Collee & Trent Dalton |
| Directors | Jocelyn Moorhouse, Kim Mordaunt & Bharat Nalluri |
| Cast | Simon Baker (Robert Bell), Bryan Brown (Arthur ‘Slim’ Halliday), Phoebe Tonkin (Frances Bell), Anthony LaPaglia (Tytus Broz), Lee Tiger Halley (August ‘Gus’ Bell), Sophie Wilde (Caitlyn Spies), Travis Fimmel (Lyle Orlik), Christopher James Baker (Ivan Kroll), Felix Cameron (kid Eli Bell), Adam Briggs (Alex Bermuda), HaiHa Le (Bich Dang), Zachary Wan (Darren Dang), Eloise Rothfield (Shelly Huffman), Zac Burgess (young Eli Bell), etc. |
| Taglines | The Acclaimed Novel Comes Alive. Crime, drugs, danger and a whole lotta hope. |
| Network | Netflix |
Spoilers Alert: Summary of 7 Episodes
Summary of Seven (7) Episodes of the Boy Swallows Universe (2024) Mini-Series
Each episode's title card includes a different painting depicting the main themes of the said episodes.
Boy Smells Rat (S1, E1) | 56 minutes
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.
Boy Gets Chop (S1, E2) | 52 minutes
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.
Gus uses his finger to communicate in the series.
And then Eli loses his finger in a violent act, as an symbolic scene.
Run Boy Run (S1, E3) | 49 minutes
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.
Boy Loses Dad (S1, E4) | 57 minutes
Caitlyn continues investigating Lyle’s disappearance. Accompanied by police, the school’s guidance counsellor checks on the boys.
Boy Takes Flight (S1, E5) | 57 minutes
Eli asks for a big favour from Slim’s old acquaintance and comes across a major clue about Lyle’s disappearance.
Boy Seeks Work (S1, E7) | 55 minutes
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.
Boy Meets End (S1, E8) | 78 minutes
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.
Bonus information about the Blue Wren bird and the Red Telephone
Blue Wren (Superb Fairywren) bird symbolizes Eli Bell's emotional state. Initially, he is cheerful and content, much like the wren perched on the roof. However, as the narrative unfolds and his life grows more complex, we observe the Blue Wren in disarray - flying off and colliding with windows - reflecting Eli's turmoil.
Eli's subconscious is represented by the Red Phone, acting as a signal of his unresolved trauma and a cautionary message urging him to be vigilant. It reflects his innermost thoughts and emotional processes. The show's creators purposely kept its interpretation open-ended, encouraging viewers to contemplate its meaning.
Poster, Other & Featured Image of the Boy Swallows Universe (2024) Mini-Series are courtesy of Netflix.