Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Talent: Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moises Arias, Nick Offerman
Release Date: 23rd August 2013
Seeing his summer turned into a grim procession of chores organised by his widowed father, fifteen-year-old Joe Toy (Nick Robinson) convinces two school-friends to run away and build a ramshackle house in the woods, leaving their parents worried about what has befallen them. The boys in this coming-of-age comedy are perhaps a little old for running away from home ― seen early on attending a local ‘kegger’ then, later, fighting with swords in the forest ― and the drama that unfolds veers towards the clichéd and predictable, but the manner in which the story is told and strong performances make for an enjoyable and often funny film. The greatest contribution comes from some impressive supporting players: Nick Offerman is outstanding as Joe’s father, Frank, mumbling sharp retorts at his son, neighbours and the witless police officers trying to deal with the kids’ disappearance. In the end, it’s the boys themselves who let the side down. They are never made to feel like flesh and blood people and their flimsiness robs the film of our deepest investment.
