Based on the bestselling novel by Trenton Dalton, this family dramedy centers on precocious Eli Bell (Felix Cameron), a 13-year-old living with his selectively nonverbal older brother, Gus (Lee Tiger Halley), mother Frances (Phoebe Tonkin), and stepfather Lyle (Travis Fimmel), who struggles to provide for the family with a job at a prosthetics factory and a drug-dealing side hustle. They love each other, but things are tough. We see Eli’s dangerous world through his childish wide-eyed wonder.
Essentially, this is Eli’s coming-of-age story, and we get flashbacks of him as a 6-year-old (Auden Ryan), and the story proceeds until he turns 17 (Zac Burgess) and sets his sights on becoming a journalist. In between, he encounters drug dealers, dirty cops, and criminals who act as mentors. Co-stars include some of Australia’s finest, such as Simon Baker and Bryan Brown.
This is far and away one of the best new miniseries I’ve seen recently, with humor, heart, and a lot of surprises. Moving between despair and optimism, Eli and his family experience real tragedy, but in the end, it’s a story of triumph. Absolutely binge-worthy, with twists and turns and colorful characters. (seven 49- to 77-min. episodes)
—Glen Starkey
This article appears in Feb 29 – Mar 10, 2024.