A hidden gem of an Australian movie

Bosch & Rockit is an enjoyable, visually striking Australian coming-of-age picture that deserves a wider audience. It is the feature film debut of Australian filmmaker Tyler Atkins, who served as director, writer, and producer after years of minor film and television credits (and winning The Amazing Race Australia in 2011). An autobiographical tale, Atkins based the screenplay on his experiences growing up on the Gold Coast with a drug-addicted father, an absent mother, and a passion for surfing, as the director believes the ocean saved his life. The resulting story is powerful and moving, a compelling and technically proficient motion picture about a teenager wanting to find a family while using the ocean to escape the harsh realities of his life. With no studios willing to back the project, Bosch & Rockit (or Ocean Boy, as it is also called) was a privately-funded independent feature, and it is a rare win for the Australian film industry.


Bosch (Luke Hemsworth) runs an illegal marijuana farm on a beach community along the NSW North Coast and often neglects his responsibilities as a parent, leaving teenage son Rockit (Rasmus King) to his own devices. Rockit loves to surf, finding solace in the waves as he grapples with his dysfunctional home life and academic problems at school. When a bushfire reveals Bosch's weed farm and makes him a person of interest to police, he promptly takes Rockit and hits the road, heading for Byron Bay to hide out while telling his son they're on holiday. Bosch and Rockit begin carving out a life for themselves in Byron Bay, with Bosch meeting the kindly Deb (Isabel Lucas) while Rockit bonds with the endearing young Ash-Ash (Savannah La Rain). Unfortunately, corrupt police officers are also looking for Bosch and hope to reach him first, threatening the pair's newfound stability.

It is easy to care about Rockit from the movie's early stages thanks to the enormously effective performance from newcomer Rasmus King (15 years old during shooting), a professional surfer who shows miraculous acting instincts that make him a perfect fit for the production. With Atkins shooting the film chronologically, King appears to grow and mature as the story progresses, and his innocence continues to fade. Bosch & Rockit touches on weighty issues, with Rockit experiencing bullying as he grapples with his intellectual shortcomings while wanting to become a better student. Childhood neglect is another of the script's heavy thematic undercurrents, as Bosch is often unprepared to make time for his son, while Rockit's mother does not want to take care of him, leaving Rockit to raise himself (which reflects Atkins's own experiences).


Despite the youthful Rockit at the centre of the story, Bosch & Rockit is not a children's movie. Although the story could be ideal fodder for school studies with its relatable themes, the excessive profanity means this movie earns its MA15+ rating in Australia. However, the swearing does not feel gratuitous; instead, the dialogue feels true to the characters. After all, Australians talk like this in everyday life. Bosch & Rockit is full of humorous banter that features profanity (neither Bosch nor Rockit is shy about using the dreaded c-word) and amusing Aussie slang (including "rockspider" and "grommet"), and the terrific cast gives convincing life to the colourful characters. Luke Hemsworth (brother of Chris and Liam) is enormously convincing as the inadequate and insecure father, while Isabel Lucas makes a fantastic impression as an appealing woman who enters Bosch's life. Another standout is young Savannah La Rain as Ash-Ash. It is easy to understand why Rockit is immediately drawn to her.

Although Atkins and his crew shot Bosch & Rockit during the COVID-19 pandemic, the picture bears no signs of a lockdown-affected production. Australian cinema is not exactly well-known for pleasing aesthetics, but Bosch & Rockit is notable for its slick visual delights that belie the meagre budget. The extraordinary digital cinematography by the experienced Ben Nott (Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan, Predestination) beautifully captures the NSW North Coast, ensuring nobody will mistake the movie for a cheap television production or soap opera. The attention to period detail is also impressive, with the story taking place at an indeterminate time in the late 1990s before smartphones and tablets. Bosch & Rockit looks incredibly cinematic, and Atkins understands the fundamental filmmaking rule of "show, don't tell" to effectively establish character traits and relationships. Atkins favours mood and atmosphere over intricate plotting, staging vignettes as Rockit navigates his troubled life with its tremendous ups and heartbreaking downs. Luckily, the editing by industry veteran Scott Gray (The Boys Are Back) is smooth and confident, setting and maintaining an agreeable pace that ensures the picture does not devolve into tedium. Shrewd soundtrack choices further elevate the movie, including Dragon's "Are You Old Enough?" and The Living End's "Prisoner of Society," while Brian Cachia's original score perfectly sets the mood.


Admittedly, Bosch & Rockit begins to wear out its welcome in the final act, with Atkins seemingly unsure how to end the story with all of its dramatic baggage, presumably reflecting the reality of his own troubled upbringing. There are other tiny imperfections - such as unconvincing digital flames and banknotes that look too stiff - but the flaws are minor. Wisely, Atkins avoids a conventionally happy ending, even refusing to follow through with a romantic subplot that could have ended in the titular characters living a more regular and stable life. Instead, Bosch & Rockit closes on a satisfying note of optimism, even if the dialogue in the final scene is a tad cheesy. Atkins gets far more right than wrong in Bosch & Rockit, creating a hidden gem of a debut feature that is among the best Australian movies of the decade.

7.9/10