THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON
Sweet and Shia…
In American Honey, Shia LaBeouf proved how useful he can be in off-mainstream outings. Three years (and a few headlines) later, he’s reiterating the point in Honey Boy and, first up, this generic but generous-spirited modern spin on Huckleberry Finn. Even if the plot holds few surprises, the chemistry between LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson and newcomer Zack Gottsagen – an actor with Down’s Syndrome – keeps you onboard for the duration.
Writer/director duo Tyler Nilson and Mike Schwartz sculpted the project for Gottsagen, who brings a persuasive unpredictability to wrestling obsessive (the title is his chosen ring name) and care-home runaway Zak. In his quest to find a VHS-advertised wrestling school, Zak bonds with LaBeouf’s initially frosty Tyler, a scuzz-bucket North Carolina fisherman fleeing aggrieved crabbers.
The decision made by Zak’s care worker Eleanor (Johnson) to join their river adventure emerges as a rushed development, hinged on schematic characterisation: all three are bruised
outsiders on the run, searching for some direction. Yet the leads sell their marriage of narrative convenience with humour and humanity. All rugged soul and rascally charm, LaBeouf is on peak form. And while Gottsagen’s comicdramatic instincts keep his co-stars sharp, Johnson quietly works wonders with her underwritten character.
Happily, Nilson and Schwartz give these performances plenty of room to breathe. The gentle lap of a rootsy soundtrack helps set a sure, steady pace; meanwhile, DoP Nigel Bluck’s wide-open images are ripe with emotional suggestion. You won’t need a compass to know where the trio’s friendships are headed. But it’s a pleasure to take the trip, especially with such winning, astutely framed on-screen company. Kevin Harley
THE VERDICT
A toasty feelgood glow envelops this misfits fable as LaBeouf, Gottsagen and Johnson spread the warmth.