Review: ‘The True Adventures of Wolfboy’ is a whimsical lesson in life and self acceptance.

 

Paul lives an isolated life with his father in upstate New York. He finds making friends impossible due to a rare condition he has known as congenital hypertrichosis – an affliction that causes an abnormal amount of hair growth all over his face and body. On his 13th birthday, Paul receives a mysterious gift that compels him to run away and seek out the mother he has never known.

The True Adventures of Wolfboy will tap into something deep down inside the viewer. This film manages to be both one of the most emotionally impactful and one of the most whimsical films of the year. Told in chapters like a 19th-century fairytale epic, Paul is our flawed and fragile hero. While tortured for his hypertrichosis, a condition that causes uncontrollable facial hair growth, Paul is battling a father that tries desperately to build his confidence, a mother who abandoned him, on top of unfathomable cruelty from his peers. In an act of defiance and peak frustration, he leaves his home on a journey that will shape the way he perceives himself and those around for the rest of his life. Encountering a number of other misfits, all with a story and past that teaches Paul bravery, acceptance, boldness, and compassion.  The chase between police and Paul is on. The shenanigans along the way will amaze you. The True Adventures of Wolfboy is pure delight.

John Turturro as Mr. Silk is a masterclass. Like every one of his roles, he is a chameleon. He is slyly one of the evilest characters we’ve seen in quite some time. It’s the nuance that makes this performance so incredible. He is a representation of all that is negative and manipulative about the real world. Chris Messina as Paul’s father is a beautiful anchor. His care for this role is evident from the very beginning. Eve Hewson is a firecracker. Her shocking energy makes you smile wider than you thought possible. Sophie Giannamore is a wonder. She is the very person Paul needed to meet for innumerable reasons. Her chemistry with Jaeden Martell is electric. The ease with which she handles the dramatic and lovely nature of her character is perfection. Jaeden Martell is Paul. His quiet strength and vulnerable nature let us live in his shoes. I’ve seen every one of his roles and he is a star. His ability to breathe life into Paul allows the audience to sit back and let Martell take their anxiety and run with it. He represents the outsider we all felt like we were in some form or another.

It’s visually splendid, from the circus colors, the lush costumes, each character having a stand out color pop. And then, there are the chapter illustrations. They are gasp-worthy gorgeous. The brilliant combination of Olivia Dufault’s screenplay, DP Andrew Droz Palermo‘s camera work, Aaron Osborne’s production design, Donna Zakowska‘s thoughtful costumes, and director Martin Krejcí overall vision make for a stunning and important lesson in 2020. Not only does it serve as a lesson, but it endlessly entertaining. The True Adventures of Wolfboy is a film we can all get behind right now.

Available On-Demand & Digital Friday, October 30

Directed by:

Martin Krejcí

Written by:

Olivia Dufault

Produced by:

Kimberly Steward, Josh Godfrey, Lauren Beck, Declan Baldwin, Benjamin Blake

Starring:

Jaeden Martell, Chris Messina, Eve Hewson, Michelle Wilson, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sophie Giannamore, Chloë Sevigny, John Turturro

Rating:

PG-13

Run Time:

88 Minutes

About Liz Whittemore

Liz grew up in northern Connecticut and was memorizing movie dialogue from Shirley Temple to A Nightmare on Elm Street at a very early age. She will watch just about any film all the way through (no matter how bad) just to prove a point. A loyal New Englander, a lover of Hollywood, and true inhabitant of The Big Apple.

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