The Peanut Butter Falcon is a heartwarming and absurdly delightful story of a young man with Down syndrome who teams up with a depressed crab fisherman in order to fulfill his dream of becoming a professional wrestler.
Why yes, this is an independent film with big festival buzz behind it, how did you know?
Zak (Zack Gottsagen), lives in a retirement home despite being only 22, because there simply is no other place for him. When he’s not obsessively rewatching the promotional videotape of his hero, the Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church), Zak dreams of escaping and attending the Redneck’s wrestling school.
One successful escape attempt later, a now nearly nude Zak crosses paths with Tyler (Shia Labeouf), a crab fisherman on the run from the law. He’s also running from a group of other crabbers, who are slightly miffed about all the expensive equipment Tyler torched.
Tyler’s going through some stuff. To be fair, I’d also be depressed if I was in a movie that somehow broke the record for the least amount of Jon Bernthal screen time. I didn’t think it was possible to beat Widows on that count, but The Peanut Butter Falcon pulled it off.
Repeat after me, kids – We. Want. More. Bernthal.
Anyway, Tyler agrees to take Zak to the wrestling school. As the two bond and develop a life-changing friendship on their journey, they are also followed by Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), Zak’s caretaker from the retirement home.
The film’s corny sentimentality and quirky charms might be a spoonful of sugar too much for some, but I personally found it to be an absolute blast.
Zak, a young man with a big heart and a seemingly impossible dream, is instantly likable. He’s kind, mischievous and fiercely loyal. It’s great to see a movie that not only has a disabled main character, but stars a disabled actor as well. Gottsagen’s dynamic with Labeouf is the heart of the film, with many of the best scenes revolving around their various adventures and soul-searching campfire conversations.
Tyler is a big brother figure to Zak, which plays into the emotional baggage he’s carrying over the loss of his own brother (Give. Us. More. Bernthal.) He’s a charismatic, down-to-earth kind of guy, straddling the line between reckless and pragmatic.
When a mean kid forces Zak to jump into the water despite Tyler’s protests, Tyler does not hesitate to punch the little bastard right out. When Eleanor coddles Zak, he shuts her down, pointing out how even those that mean well can make disabled people feel bad about themselves.
The way Eleanor keeps up with them stretches suspension of disbelief more than the Salt Water Redneck’s signature wrestling move, but having her around throws an interesting wrench into Tyler and Zak’s easygoing dynamic. It’s a smart story move and the payoff makes is worth pushing believability a bit.
In the small, but memorable supporting roles category, we obviously have Thomas Haden Church as the legendary Redneck, who invariably isn’t quite what Zak expected. John Hawkes also plays a minor antagonist – the leader of the crabbers that want to get back at Tyler. He’s in typically fine form.
Bruce Dern steals a few scenes as a resident of the retirement home and actual wrestlers Mick Foley and Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts also lend their talents.
I had a big, goofy grin on my face when this movie was over. It’s a wonderful feelgood adventure with a distinct cast of characters brought to life by a great cast.
The ending is something I really should have seen from a mile away, but it got me nonetheless. It got me because I was happy to just be swept along for the ride. Odds are, you’ll feel the same way.
The Peanut Butter Falcon comes out in the UK on the 18th October.