A new Netflix series based on a true story has had viewers in tears - but comes highly recommended. Boy Swallows Universe debuted on the streamer on Thursday (January 11) and is currently the fifth most-watched series on the UK site.
Adapted from Trent Dalton's debut novel of the same name - which has been dubbed 'Australia's favourite' - the limited series is set in 1980s Brisbane. Loosely based on Dalton's own childhood, it follows a young lad who gets sucked into the criminal underworld while attempting to cope with his drug-dealing step-father and his addict mother.
Despite the obstacles life has dealt him, it's the youngster's hopeful attitude that shines through in this coming-of-age classic. The show's official description reads: "A lost father, a mute brother, a recovering addict mum, a heroin dealer for a stepfather, and a notorious criminal for a babysitter. Eli Bell is just trying to follow his heart and understand what it means to become a good man, but fate keeps throwing obstacles in his way."
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Boy Swallows Universe stars Felix Cameron as titular character Eli Bell, while Phoebe Tonkin and Travis Fimmel play his parents, Frances Bell and Lyle Orlik.
Viewers took to X, formerly Twitter, after watching the seven-part series to share their views. @Higgo74said: "Boy Swallows Universe on Netflix is truly outstanding Aussie drama. HIGHLY recommend it."
@hybridqueens added: "Just spent the last 7 hours crying on and off, Boy Swallows Universe was fantastic" as @anniefitness reckoned: "Boy Swallows Universe is the best Australian book I’ve ever read and now it’s also my favourite Australian TV show of all time. Well done @TrentDalton. This story made me cry, then laugh, then cry again. Absolutely brilliant".
Others were thoroughly impressed by 14-year-old Cameron's performance in the series. The teenager, from Melbourne, has only one other credit for the 2020 film Penguin Bloom.
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@BarbaraHFlowers said: "Started watching Boy Swallows Universe... it's tremendously good... hilarious, sad, and Felix Cameron ('boy') is just perfect" as @JJoolan said of the drama: "The actors shine but Felix Cameron as young Eli Bell is phenomenal... That kid is going places".
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes have also ranked the drama quite highly, awarding it a respectable 86% score.
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Dalton previously told Netflix of his childhood and the original book: “I’ve swallowed that story for 20 years. The moment I spat that fear out in the form of a 400-page book, the universe came back to me and said, ‘This is why you’re here.’”
Explaining how he came up with the title, Dalton added: “Boy Swallows Universe—the double meaning of that is you swallow the good stuff and you swallow the bad stuff and then you’ve got to spit it out as fireworks.”
Boy Swallows Universe is available to stream now on Netflix.