Ocean Boy Review – Awesome, Visually Stunning, A Must See

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Category: Indies, Docs, Foreign Film

Published on Thursday, 02 February 2023 18:06

Written by Janet Walker

Ocean Boy, from Gravitas Venture, presents a magical story of family, parenting, and the fragile bonds of love as seen through the eyes of an endearing teenager, who is struggling to understand the complexities of relationships.

The film begins with Rockit, played by Rasmus King, surfing off the Australian coast. As the ocean is the third lead of the film all the beauty of the eastern shoreline, and the deftness of the surfers, our young Rockit included, are mesmerizing.

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He returns home and we meet his dad, Bosch, played by Luke Hemsworth who has a cannabis grow and distribution farm. As weed is still illegal in Australia so the local police, which also happens to be one his school chums, is working with him.

Tonight, however, Detective Keith, played by Michael Sheasby, he shows up with his newest partner, Derek, played by Martin Sacks, a dirty detective who explains to Bosch he has just expanded his business to blow. So now, as we understand everyone is working for Detective Derek, the new man with keys to the evidence locker.

We also learn that Rockit is bullied in school. He explains to his dad he doesn't want to go to school because he can't read properly. And in class he is called dumb-dumb, and teased because he wears his hair long. His dad tells him to grab the biggest bully and knock him out. So, the next day, when Rockit's bully starts on him, he happens to have his bike lock in his hand and punches the kid and knocks him out cold. Not really the best choice as we find out, but effective.

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Afterschool, before school at every chance possible Rockit is surfing, today he sees a brush fire exploding. At the same time, Bosch is telephoned by his crew and told the fire is going to destroy his crop and the cops will find everything. He reaches the house before the fire does and empties the safe of the money and the coke the cops gave him. On his way out the door, he is startled by a snake and the brick flies into the air, hits the ceiling fan, and explodes covering him with pure Columbia cocaine.

His car, a perfect 1969 Barracuda, has caught fire and he has no choice but to leave it. Taking off in his jeep, he gets to his house loads it up and heads to the beach to get Rockit. With the fire out the cops stumbled on his grow house valued at more than 5million. If he gets caught before he can fix things, he will go to jail.

This sets up the final act. As Rockit is at the age where he understands something is off when his life is upended, so his dad tells him they are going on holiday to a surfing town. Soon, they are camping on the beach and meet up with Deb, a local photographer, played by Isabel Lucas.

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Rockit who only wants to surf, meets up with a girl, Ash Ash, played by Savannah La Rain. As both see themselves as misfits they become instantly connected. For the next two weeks, they are inseparable, and as the brewing storm of the coke detective is barely registering on the horizon Rockit is happily on holiday with his dad.

As the police begin to close in Bosch sends Rockit to live with his mother, Elizabeth, played by Leanna Walsman, an alcoholic who can barely manage her own life. And we see Rockit, who by a lucky spin of good fortune, meets up with Ash-Ash at his new school.

Ocean Boy, which was also released under the title of Bosch & Rockit, is a mesmerizing film. The storyline is relatable, and the talent especially with newcomers Ramus King and Savannah La Rain, are authenticate and deliver exceptional performance. This is a family film that everyone will love.

As the ocean is the third lead in the film, the cinematography is stunning using both land and underwater footage. The ocean is presented in all its pristine beauty: pipeline waves, dolphins, humpback whales, sunrises, and sunsets over the shoreline. The ocean brings a sense of awesome wonder, of something greater than the sum of our small existence and provides a consistency for Rockit.

Filmed at iconic Byron Bay, against the canvas of Australia's famous east coast surf beaches and rain forests, Ocean Boy is a raw and unapologetic look into the hardships of parenting, addictions, and the trauma of an alcoholic parent, as well as the deeper themes of love and relationships, passion and the magnetism and the healing power of nature.

Ocean Boy opens in select cities Friday, February 3, 2023. It is awesome. See it.

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Country: Australia.

Language: English.

Runtime:107minutes.

Director: Tyler Atkins

Writer: Tyler Atkins, Drue Metz.

Producer: Jamie Arscott, Tyler Atkins, Cathy Flannery, John Schwarz.

Cast: Luke Hemsworth, Isabel Lucas, Leanna Walsman, Savannah La Rain, Ramsus King.