Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Everyone this weekend is going to be obsessing over the Gilmore Girls revival, but another gem just made it onto streaming. Richard Linklater’s critically-praised drama about growing up, Boyhood, has just hit Netflix.
Filmed over the course of 12 years in a series of vignettes, Boyhood captures the trials and tribulations of growing up through the eyes of Mason (Ellar Coltrane). The instant classic premiered at Sundance in 2014 and was nominated for several awards, including five Golden Globes, five BAFTA awards, and six Oscars, one of which was for Best Picture. Boyhood ended the 2014 awards season with several wins, including the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture — Drama, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress for Patricia Arquette; the BAFTAs for Best Director and Best Film; and the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress (Arquette). In short, it’s a critically beloved film that’s worth the high praise it’s received as well as your time.
Though Boyhood’s plot is certainly beautiful, it’s the film’s production that has become the stuff of legends. Production for Boyhood began in 2002 and didn’t end until 2013, allowing Linklater to capture Coltrane as he quite literally experienced boyhood. It’s this innovative direction paired with Coltrane, Arquette, and Ethan Hawke’s stunning performances that has made this one of the most praised film of the 21st century.
You should definitely take a couple hours this weekend to reacquaint yourself with this moving classic, but if you want to turn your Boyhood watch into a full Linklater binge, Netflix has your back. Here are all of the Linklater movies currently on Netflix:
