Greetings again from the darkness. If you see something, say something. If you know something, say something. If you fear something but aren’t sure, say something. Such is the world we live in today … the world our children live in today. Somehow that same world also revolves around social media and the insatiable desire to be ‘seen’. The first feature film from writer-director Oscar Boyson and co-writer Ricky Camilleri takes on these somewhat conflicting societal issues, and they do so with an approach that’s at times absurdist, often comical, and always a bit frightening (in a real world way).
Jaeden Martell (IT, 2017) stars as the titular Balthazar … known as Balthy to his friends and family. Balthy is unmistakenly a product of wealth, as evidenced by his elite private school, his ‘life coach’, and the $50 million penthouse suite overlooking NYC he lives in with his socialite mother (Jennifer Ehle). He’s a wannabe social media influencer with an innate ability to shed tears on demand – especially while filming his latest video. A “Mass Shooting Preparedness Seminar” held at school leads Balthy to believe – a surefire way to being a hero is to stop a school shooting before it happens. This leads to a beyond-awkward attempt to woo a classmate (Pippa Knowles) with his plan. She, of course, shuns him.
Online research (using a secret identity) connects Balthy to Solomon (an outstanding Asa Butterfield, GREED, 2019), a young man in rural Texas whose tough online persona clashes with his real life insecurities. Solomon certainly has access to guns, and a life of poverty with his grandmother means his online threatening posts are the red flags Balthy needs in his quest for heroism. An obvious contrast between the rich NYC boy and the poor country Texas boy also shares commonality. Both boys feel isolated and not part of the mainstream. Their family lives are not ideal, and both feel at risk of being invisible.
Balthy heads to Texas and the initial meet with Solomon doesn’t go smoothly, but the mutual need to bond with another brings them around. Whether Balthy can actually succeed in his mission to stop a school shooting plays out in his relationship with Solomon. The two fine actors perfectly capture the awkwardness of the age, as well as the differences and similarities of those growing up in such distinct environments.
Chris Bauer appears as Solomon’s estranged father, and his personality and ‘job’ explains a great deal about the boy’s outlook. For Solomon, this appears to be about exhibiting (toxic) masculinity, while for Balthy, it’s about pre-fab heroism. The need for real attention is the shared space in their Venn Diagram, and the NYC-to-Texas extremism is there to make a point. The filmmakers smartly use humor to avoid over-bearing heaviness, yet the film remains a reminder to heed red flags and say something.
Opened in NYC on March 27, 2026 and opens in LA on April 3
Posted by David Ferguson 
Movie Reviews from the Dark 