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The Black Balloon
🎬 Movie

The Black Balloon

2008 · 97 min Drama
6.4 / 10 · TMDB

Thomas is turning 16. His dad's in the army and they've just moved to a town in New South Wales; his mom is pregnant; his older brother, Charlie, who's autistic, has his own adolescent sexual issues. Thomas finds Charlie an embarrassment in public, so when Thomas is attracted to Jackie, a girl in his swim class, Charlie presents any number of obstacles when she drops by their house, when the three of them go for a walk, and during a family birthday dinner. Can Thomas find a way to enter the world of teen romance and still be his brother's keeper, or is Charlie's disability going to prove more than Thomas can handle?

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🎬 MovieFinder's Take

The director bets on details: a gesture, a glance, a pause. In a good drama this is what says the most — and that principle is upheld here.

Worth watching if you're in the mood for serious cinema. Not background viewing — it demands attention.

For viewers who can watch slow cinema and value the human element in stories.

Director: Elissa Down

— MovieFinder Editorial

🕯️

Best Watched

Viewing atmosphere: In quiet, in the evening. Better alone or with someone who watches films seriously.

🎭 Cast

Rhys Wakefield

Rhys Wakefield

Thomas Mollison

Luke Ford

Luke Ford

Charlie Mollison

Toni Collette

Toni Collette

Maggie Mollison

Erik Thomson

Erik Thomson

Simon Mollison

Gemma Ward

Gemma Ward

Jackie Masters

👤

Sarah Woods

Woman Next Door

Sam Fraser

Sam Fraser

Kid Next Door

👤

Zelie Bullen

Mother in Van

Anthony Phelan

Anthony Phelan

Mr. Masters

👤

Deborah Piper

Janet-Social Worker

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💬 Audience Reviews

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