“The New Boy: a Sacred Clash of Spirits and Survival

Warwick Thornton’s The New Boy is a haunting, evocative tale of spiritual collision and colonial imposition set in the unforgiving Australian outback during the early 1940s. Told entirely from the perspective of a young Aboriginal boy (brilliantly portrayed by newcomer Aswan Reid), the film is a quiet yet powerful exploration of Indigenous spirituality clashing with rigid Christian dogma—one that lingers with audiences long after the final frame.

We’re introduced to a crumbling institution when the boy is dropped off at a dilapidated monastery/orphanage in the dead of night. The priest in charge is conspicuously absent. Instead, the place is run by Sister Eileen (Cate Blanchett, in one of her most raw and complex performances), whose faith is weathered and fraying. She drinks herself to sleep, lies to preserve routine, and curses through crisis. Her right hand, Sister Mum—another Indigenous woman—is herself a casualty of colonial policy, separated from her children in a devastating nod to Australia’s ‘Stolen Generations’.

Thornton, drawing from his own childhood experience of walking into a church and seeing a tortured man nailed to a cross, uses the boy’s innocent perspective to question Christianity’s strange and brutal iconography. The New Boy sees the crucified Christ not as a savior but as someone who needs saving and tries to help him. What follows is a series of unsettling and miraculous events that unsettle Sister Eileen’s tenuous grip on her crumbling belief system.

The film delves deeply into themes of forced indoctrination, cultural erasure, and the heartbreaking exploitation of Aboriginal children, who were tragically utilized as inexpensive labor during wartime. Yet, director Thornton masterfully avoids heavy-handed exposition, communicating his message through stunning visuals. His work resonates with the poetic style of Terrence Malick, as each frame is meticulously crafted with painterly elegance.

The cinematography captures the stark beauty of the landscape, creating an immersive experience. This visual artistry is beautifully paired with a hauntingly atmospheric and minimalist score by Warren Ellis and Nick Cave, which drifts over the barren terrain like a solemn prayer, enhancing the film’s emotional depth and resonance.

“The New Boy” is a daring and deeply personal narrative that intricately explores the themes of faith, identity, and survival. Through its unsettling yet beautifully crafted storytelling, it delves into the complexities of the human experience, shedding light on the struggles and triumphs of individuals navigating their beliefs and sense of self within a challenging world.

Final Grade: B

“The New Boy” is in select theatres this Friday and will be available on VOD via Vertical on Friday, May 30th!