‘The New Boy’ Film Review
Cate Blanchett and Aswan Reid excel in this deeply personal but unbalanced film
Film: The New Boy. Year: 2023. Genre: Drama/Fantasy/History. Director: Warwick Thornton
Warwick Thornton certainly is a jack-of-all-trades. From providing (short) movies such as Between Two Lines and Samson and Delilah with stunning cinematography to writing and directing touching films, including Sweet Country and We Don’t Need a Map. His love for filmmaking and creativity also shines through in his latest work. While the feature loses its momentum in the second part, you have to have a leap of faith in The New Boy, as the movie is still beautiful and deeply personal, after all.
Thornton, who serves as the writer, director and cinematographer, recently won the AACTA Award for Best Cinematography, as well as the Spotlight Award from the 38th American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) for this movie and right from the get-go, it becomes clear that those accolades are well deserved. The landscapes of the 1940s Australian outback come exceptionally to life in front of your eyes because of the gorgeously shot, rich and extremely detailed visuals and the excellent moving score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, which ensure that the movie oozes many intrigues.
