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The New Boy

2023·Movie
1h 56min
IMDb5.7Metacritic64–Rotten Tomatoes77%40%

Where to watch

HuluKanopy

Links go to licensed services. Data from JustWatch and TMDB.

What's your score?

Your score

The New Boy fingerprint

Strong craft, striking style, a touch of humor.

Energy

Tense

Builds slowly, so the intensity comes in waves.

  • Tension7
  • Violence6
  • Scare4

Heart

Melancholic and moving

Much of it is about family.

  • Melancholy8
  • Pathos7
  • Family Dynamics7

Humor

A little humor

Not a comedy at heart.

  • Dark Humor4
  • Wit & Wordplay3
  • Cringe Humor3

World

History, society, and faith and meaning

Lived-in and easy to get lost in.

  • World Immersion8
  • Dialogue Centrality7
  • Ambiguity6

Craft

Standout performances and characters

  • Acting8
  • Character Depth8
  • Direction7

Style

Functional look and sound

  • Cinematography7
  • Music Composition7
  • Music Centrality7

Who it's for

AdultsFriends NightSolo WatchThought-Provoking

Find more like it

Melancholic moviesAtmospheric movies

Based on the GoodWatch fingerprint: our scores for 70+ attributes of every movie. Select a row to see all of them.

About

A mysterious new arrival disturbs a delicately balanced world in this story of spiritual struggle and the cost of survival.

In a remote monastery in 1940s Australia, a mission for Aboriginal children is run by a renegade nun, Sister Eileen. A new charge is delivered in the dead of night – a boy who appears to have special powers. When the monastery takes possession of a precious relic, a large carving of Christ on the cross, the new boy encounters Jesus for the first time and is transfixed. However, the boy’s Indigenous spiritual life does not gel with the mission’s Christianity and his mysterious power becomes a threat. Sister Eileen is faced with a choice between the traditions of her faith and the truth embodied in the boy, in this story of spiritual struggle and the cost of survival.
Aboriginal AustralianReligious TraumaOrphanageHistorical DramaSpiritual ExplorationMysticismPsychologicalSlow BurnMelancholyThought-Provoking

Crew

Directed by:
Warwick Thornton, Brad Lanyon, Kate Larmer
Written by:
Warwick Thornton
Produced by:
Cate Blanchett, Andrew Upton, Anousha Zarkesh
Composed by:
Nick Cave, Les Fiddess, Les Fiddess

Sequels and Prequels

No sequels or prequels available

Media

Questions about The New Boy

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The New Boy legally?

HuluKanopy

The New Boy is included with a subscription to Hulu in the United States. You can watch it free with ads on Kanopy. You can also rent or buy it from Apple TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, and Google Play Movies. All links in Where to Watch go to these licensed services.

Is The New Boy worth watching?

55
DecentGoodWatch score

Opinions are mixed, with a GoodWatch score of 55/100 (IMDb 5.7, Rotten Tomatoes 77%, and Metacritic 64). The GoodWatch score combines critic and audience ratings.

What is The New Boy rated?

ViolenceDisturbing imagery

Content advisories: violence and disturbing imagery.

How long is The New Boy?

1 h 56 min

The New Boy runs 1 h 56 min.

Do critics and audiences agree on The New Boy?

Critics71
Audiences49

Not quite. Critics rate The New Boy higher (71) than audiences (49). It may be more rewarding than it is crowd-pleasing.

What language is The New Boy in?

English

It was made in English. Produced in Australia, United Kingdom.

In how many countries can I watch The New Boy?

16AUBECADKFIFJGBGGIELUNLNONZPT+2

GoodWatch finds legal streaming, rental, or purchase options for The New Boy in 16 countries. Pick any of them in Where to Watch to see the local services.