SXSW 2019: BOYZ IN THE WOOD Review – A Hilarious Satire Dipped On Acid
Starring Eddie Izzard, Kate Dickie, Lewis Gribben, Rian Gordon, Viraj Juneja, Samuel Bottomley
Written by Ninian Doff
Directed by Ninian Doff
Who would have anticipated that two of the best satires of the last few years would be feature debuts by music video directors? After Boots Riley made a splash with Sorry To Bother You, Ninian Doff, who worked on music videos by artists such as Chemical Brothers and Run the Jewels, takes on class, youth, generational divide and hallucinogenic rabbit shit with the hilarious Boyz In The Wood.
You know how a lot of people say millennials never go outside and they can’t survive without their phones? Well, Mr. Carlyle (Jonathan Aris) thinks so too, yet he still decides to “select” a couple of young delinquents to participate in the “Duke of Edinburgh Award”. It’s basically a camping trip/survival experience in the Scottish Highlands where eager participants must exhibit teamwork, foraging, and orienteering to go from point A to point B. The problem? To say our participants are not outdoorsy would be an understatement. We have Duncan (Gribben), who somehow didn’t get expelled after setting a toilet on fire, Dean (Gordon), the explosive weed enthusiast, and DJ Beatroot (Juneja), the type of guy who wears white designer jumpsuits in a mountain excursion. None of them want to be here, and none of them are capable of surviving out in the Highlands, leaving all responsibility to the one decent person in the group, home-schooled boy Ian (Bottomley).
Of course, this is no simple hike, and despite all the comically exaggerated warnings, the boys start their trek without an ounce of awareness, taking an eternity looking at the map before realizing it was upside-down, ultimately deciding to rip it apart to roll a joint. They also completely miss the guy calling himself “The Duke” (Eddie Izzard) that starts shooting at them with a rifle.
The initial premise of Boyz In The Wood will feel very familiar. Four teenagers being thrown into an unknown place where they’ll grow up a bit and have an unexpected adventure by bonding and relying on each other isn’t really new, but it never feels like Doff is simply rehashing other coming of age films. Sure, you can see this movie and think of Stand by Me, or especially Boyz n The Hood, which this film gets its title from, but Ninian Doff’s debut feels more akin to Boots Riley’s throw-everything-you-can-at-the-script-because-you-may-not-get-another-chance approach, and it works.
The film throws so many outlandish elements and plot points at you it becomes a bit tiresome at some points, since it doesn’t give itself or the audience time to breathe and take anything in. Hallucinogenic rabbit shits? Check. An old man and his sword-wielding wife chasing kids around the mountains? Check. Kate Dickie as a police officer with a thirst for action convinced the kids are hip-hop terrorists? Double check. And did I mention the Highlands hip-hop loving hillbillies, or the zombie threat mentioned by the police? One thing is for sure, Boyz In The Wood will never bore you.
Doff also puts his music background to great use, infusing the film with LSD-dream imagery and lyrical smackdowns that charm both the hillbillies and the audience, music is always influencing where the film goes. British hip-hop can be heard constantly, and it is always in service of the story.
The young cast is fantastic. The four teenagers are not always likable, but there’s no denying they have great chemistry together. You could watch a complete season of TV with nothing but the banter between them and leave happy. A standout is Viraj Juneja as DJ Beatroot, who not only gets to make you laugh constantly but also showcases his hip-hop skills.
On the other side of the rifle, Eddie Izzard’s “The Duke” is as terrifying as he is majestically sophisticated. A wealthy socialite believing he’s the one to eliminate the millennia “vermin” to even the population out. Izzard wears the Joker’s laugh with the clothing style of British royalty, nailing both the insanity of the character and also the film’s social commentary about the divide between Baby Boomers and Millennials, all before leading into an explosive and deranged third act that will make your jaw drop.As far as debut features go, Ninian Doff drops the mic with Boyz In The Wood. Not only establishing himself as a writer/director to keep an eye on, but also delivering one of the most charming and electrically energetic genre debuts from the UK since Attack The Block.
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Boyz in the Wood
Summary
Making an impressive feature debut, Ninian Doff makes Boyz In The Wood a hilarious film that exudes energy without losing its charm, all while delivering colorful social commentary on acid.
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