Limited Series – Boy Swallows Universe

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2:22

Jan 2024

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

15 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

In a room below his house in 1980s Brisbane, Australia, Eli Bell answers a red telephone and begins a journey that will break his heart before ending it.

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Critics Consensus

A wonderful adaptation of Trent Dalton's novel, Boy Swallows Universe manages to temper a dark coming-of-age story with enough levity to let its message float straight to the heart.

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Judy Berman

TIME Magazine

02/02/2024

A dangerous world is filtered through Eli’s dreamy, alternately curious and terrified perspective, neither sanitizing the constant threats his family faces nor reducing his existence to a condescending sob story.

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Wenlei Ma

PerthNow

01/15/2024

The Netflix adaptation of Trent Dalton’s bestselling novel captures the whimsy and magic of a tale that has already grabbed the hearts of countless Australians. It’s a miniseries that balances darkness with levity.

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Luke Buckmaster

Guardian

01/12/2024

Netflix’s seven-part adaptation of Trent Dalton’s acclaimed novel Boy Swallows Universe has a wonderful kind of tonal elasticity, stretching from despair to happiness in a heartbeat.

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Sarah Ward

Concrete Playground

03/03/2024

This account of coping with life at its most brutal and most fantastical doesn't only refuse to be just one thing, or stay with just one version of Eli, but wouldn't contemplate giving its audience anything other than the full emotional universe.

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Polly Conway

Common Sense Media

01/31/2024

This series features exceptional acting by the young actors, and Fimmel also shines as the dirtbag stepdad who can't stay out of trouble.

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Shannon Connellan

Mashable

01/19/2024

A heavy whirlwind of crime, coming-of-age, and exceptional performances, Boy Swallows Universe is everything the TV series should be and more.

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Mario F

@Mario1976 5d

Die beste Miniserie die ich bisher gesehen hab. Jetzt hab ich sogar Lust darauf das Buch zu lesen. Kann die Serie nur herzlichst empfehlen.

Victoria B

Nov 2

Loved it. Outstanding performances by all the actors but especially Eli and Gus. Made me want to buy the book

Jan v

Sep 2

I think every single actor delivered a stirling performance! An Australian gem!!

Mark L.

@brewerymark Aug 17

This is a great show. I loved the mix of reality and fantasy. All the acting was amazing.

Thomas N

Jul 23

“Boy Meets Universe” truly surprised me. It captures the complexity of life and the quiet humanity of characters with layered, difficult, real stories. The acting is strong, and I found it easy to connect with the characters. The show isn’t just entertaining—it feels honest. It dives deep into each characters intricacies and the nuance they develop. This kept me wanting more. The storylines feel real and grounded, which made it easy to stay engaged and excited for each new episode. I really wish they would do another season. I read that it’s not happening, but I believe these characters still have so much more story to tell—and I’d absolutely want to listen. Great show.

Patrice T

Mar 10

This was a good Aussie tv show. It got a bit silly in the last 2 episodes but I enjoyed it overall. The young actor/main character did a wonderful job.

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Travis Fimmel

Lyle Orlik

Phoebe Tonkin

Frances Bell

Simon Baker

Robert Bell

Felix Cameron

Eli Bell

Lee Halley

Gus Bell

Zac Burgess

Eli Bell

Episode 1

Aired Jan 11, 2024

Boy Smells Rat

Eli starts the day with a turbulent driving lesson from Slim; school bullies confront Eli with a challenge, but a teacher catches them in the act.

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Episode 2

Aired Jan 11, 2024

Boy Gets Chop

Lyle shows Eli and Gus around his workplace and introduces them to his boss, Tytus Broz; later, a surprise visit to Eli's house leads to trouble.

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Episode 3

Aired Jan 11, 2024

Run Boy Run

Frankie gets herself in trouble for protecting her sons; Eli searches for a way back home to look for his stepdad and his missing stash.

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Episode 4

Aired Jan 11, 2024

Boy Loses Dad

Caitlyn continues investigating Lyle's disappearance; accompanied by police, the school's guidance counselor checks on the boys.

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Episode 5

Aired Jan 11, 2024

Boy Takes Flight

Eli asks for a big favor from Slim's old acquaintance and comes across a major clue about Lyle's disappearance.

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Episode 6

Aired Jan 11, 2024

Boy Seeks Work

Eli and Gus show Frankie what they've planned for their future; later, Eli attempts to get a job as a journalist at the local paper.

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Episode 7

Aired Jan 11, 2024

Boy Meets End

Eli finds an unlikely source for a story to submit to The Courier-Mail; new evidence leads Caitlyn to uncover the truth about the criminal underworld.

Details

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TRAILER

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Boy Swallows Universe: Limited Series Trailer

2:22

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Executive Producer: John Collee, Andrew Mason, Bharat Nalluri
Screenwriter: John Collee, Trent Dalton
Network: Netflix
Rating: TV-MA
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Australian English
Release Date: Jan 11, 2024

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Limited Series – Boy Swallows Universe

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