The Peanut Butter Falcon — Movie Review
by KJ Proulx
This usually happens to me about once a year or so, but it’s so close to the end of this year that I didn’t think it was going to happen. I usually find one film that warms my heart to the point that I find myself putting it on my list of best films of the year, simply because I found nothing wrong with it on an emotional level. The Peanut Butter Falcon is easily the best feel-good movie out there of 2019 and also one of the best overall movies of 2019, in my opinion. This movie has flown under the radar for mainstream audiences, so please, seek this one out.
Living with down syndrome in an old age home, young Zak escapes in hopes of find his wrestling hero that he sees on television on a daily basis. The film equally focusses on him, as well as Tyler, who has issues of his own and is currently on the run to save his life. Bumping into each other, the two of them form a bond that leads to a very heartwarming friendship. With a few more layers to unpack as the movie progresses, this film has all the heart you could ever ask for out of a film, without getting overly sappy.
Written and directed by two newcomers to the feature film sphere, Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz have created one hell of a little indie here. It’s very clear that this isn’t their first rodeo in cinema/television, but as a first film, they deserve all the praise in the world. While this movie will most likely go under the radar when awards season rolls around, I truly do feel they have given some of the best work behind the camera all year. On top of their stellar work, the talent on-screen is just as notable.
Although Shia LaBeouf hasn’t exactly quit acting, it has become very apparent over the last few years that he just wants to pursue smaller projects. Personally, I love that he has done that because his talents are far more suited for projects like this. Quite honestly, I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen him give a stronger performance than that of his portrayal of Tyler in The Peanut Butter Falcon. That aside, the true standout here is Zack Gottsagen as Zak. Nilson and Schwartz were able to bring out such a charismatic and natural performance from him and I felt like I was nearly watching a documentary with the amount of chemistry that LaBeouf and Gottsagen shared.
In the end, The Peanut Butter Falcon is a film that I have been looking forward to for a while and I’m very happy with the experience I had when watching it. This may seem repetitive, but I can’t stress enough how heartwarming this film truly is. I watched this movie with a smile on my face the entire time and with such great performances and direction to boot, there really weren’t any glaring faults. When this film hits home video in the coming weeks or becomes available to stream in your area, I can’t recommend checking it out enough. The Peanut Butter Falcon is one of the best movies of 2019.
Rating: 5/5
Check out the trailer below:
