Bosch & Rockit
A sun-soaked coming of age story, grounded in heartbreaking familial guilt.
When a fire upends Bosch’s (Luke Hemsworth) drug ring with his surf gang, he is forced to gon on the run from his small beach town. Taking his son Rockit (Rasmus King) with him, they first trek to Byron Bay, before the law closes in on them and they are forced to make a series of ever more drastic decisions. While Bosch tries to evade capture, and stay out of prison, Rockit tries to find some stability and lead a life.
Directed by Tyler Atkins in his feature directorial debut, Bosch & Rockit is the sort of sun-soaked Australiana that is just a joy to watch on screen. Whether it’s scenic beaches, hinterland vistas or the classic small-town feel of 90’s era fish and chip stores, the film has a visual and nostalgic pull that is undeniably engaging.
From a story perspective, the film very intriguingly takes a relatively non-standard route from point A to B. It’s rare that a film can surprise a critic, but the ultimate journey that this takes certainly did. Whereas one might expect the film to hone in on Bosch’s crimes, and the outcomes of that - given it is undoubtedly the most ‘exciting’ part of the story - instead, the movie pulls focus midway through towards the young Rockit.
This ultimately both props the film up, and burdens it. On the positive side, the movie is subsequently full of heart, and feels completely fresh. The resolution is heartbreaking and tearjerking, rather than pointlessly redemptive, and it makes Bosch & Rockit really feel like it has something to say. On the other hand, this does provide a bit of a hiccup in terms of pacing and getting that nice, solid arc out of the film; particularly for audiences who may be expecting one thing, and midway through delivered another.
Performances are good across the board, with Hemsworth getting a chance to shine, and King showing strong potential in his debut feature (potential no doubt harnessed in the myriad of upcoming projects on his IMDB).
