To say Boys Go To Jupiter is visually stunning is an understatement in Julian Glander’s feature debut that is layered with intricate details and an all too familiar story that is a touch psychedelic.
From the offset you are instantly grabbed by the vibrant stylised animation that feels very unique, something different to what we’ve seen in recent years that makes you take notice. The colour palette is striking and reminiscent of how Wes Anderson uses this tool in his movies.
It almost in a way has shades of the claymation of Wallace & Gromit in a world that is realistic yet at the same time something we perhaps see in video games. Billy and his friends Freckles (Grace Kuhlenschmidt), Beatbox (Elsie Fisher) and Peanut (J.R Phillips) look fully realised and not simply bog standard CG on a screen.
The level of detail is remarkable from the shading in scenes, the varied textures and how it all seamlessly comes together. Each pixel carefully crafted even for the most insignificant items such as an orange which looks incredible.
This coming of age story set in Florida follows Billy 5000 (Jack Corbett), a high school drop-out, who hustles in the gig-economy to earn as much money as possible. All sounds fairly familiar especially when you add teen angst into the mix but the efforts to do more is clear.
There are signs of a real depth to the story in the dysfunctional relationship between Billy and his mother. But it remains unexplored and seems like a lost opportunity to add further depth to the story.
There is charm to the story from writer-director Glander, with its comedic moments amongst the friend group.
Miya Folik as Rozebud stars alongside Jack Corbett who both deliver nuanced performances and is testament to the writing as Glander manages to avoid leaning too much into the angry-anti-capitalist-teen.
The movie also stars Elsie Fisher, who was fantastic in 2018s Eighth Grade, but is largely under utilised.
Glander also pulls triple-duties with composing the original score. The lo-fi synth throughout works well and some of the musical numbers are a mix of Pulp & Bo Burnham-esque along with some weird tracks.
There is a lot of weird elements in Boys Go To Jupiter – it’s a bit of a fever dream in parts that include dolphins and aliens mixed with teen angst. For the most part it kinda works but there are instances where it seems unnecessary and takes you out of that world you have become so immersed in.
