Oscar Boyson, the producer behind 'Uncut Gems,' has crafted a film that resists simple description. 'Our Hero, Balthazar,' currently in theaters, follows a wealthy New York City teenager (Jaeden Martell) who travels to Texas in a misguided attempt to stop a school shooting and impress a girl. The movie blends black comedy, thriller, satire, and commentary on performative activism, gun culture, and toxic masculinity. Variety's Owen Gleiberman called it 'a cutting, audacious, and at times astonishing movie.'
A Filmmaker's Journey
Boyson, a veteran of independent film for nearly 20 years, has worked on projects from 'Frances Ha' to 'Uncut Gems.' Co-writing 'Balthazar' with Ricky Camilleri, he felt the idea was electric, reminiscent of the films that inspired him. 'There's a trend towards sameness and safety and familiarity that is making the movie industry a really uninteresting world to play and create and collaborate in,' Boyson said. 'I felt like because the industry was saying no to it, it was exactly what I should be doing. And that really fired me up.'
Overcoming Industry Obstacles
Despite resistance from festivals and distributors who loved the film but couldn't market it, Boyson persisted. 'We don't have the marketing budget, but we do have tremendous energy,' he noted. Through a grassroots campaign involving a fake social media account for Balthazar with over 84,000 followers and old-fashioned word-of-mouth, audiences are discovering the film. It is now playing in New York, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Diego, Encino, Santa Cruz, and Westbrook, Maine. At New York's Village East, entering its seventh weekend, some viewers have seen it six times, including younger audiences. Boyson wishes the industry would move away from the 'big opening weekend' mentality and give movies time to find their audience. 'So much of it's about word-of-mouth, and you need time in order for that to work,' he said. 'When it does, it's actually not that expensive. You just gotta make something good.'
Lessons from 'Frances Ha'
Boyson's experience on 'Frances Ha' taught him that budget doesn't define a film's impact. 'Movies are about the emotional response that they get from the audience and that has nothing to do with how expensive or how cheaply they were made,' he explained. On 'Our Hero, Balthazar,' he surrounded himself with 20-somethings to keep him honest, mirroring the intimate feel of 'Frances Ha.'
Actors and Authenticity
The film features a mix of up-and-coming and veteran character actors, including Jennifer Ehle as Balthazar's socialite mother, Noah Centineo as his life coach, Asa Butterfield as Solomon, Becky Ann Baker as his grandmother, and Chris Bauer as his estranged father. 'Actors love to work, you know? And actors love to be surprised, and actors love to challenge themselves,' Boyson said. 'Especially if you're in New York, 'Our Hero, Balthazar' is a testament to the fact that a low budget movie, if you get lucky on the timing, you can have some of the greatest actors in the world popping up in your movie.'
Place as Character
Shooting in New York City and Texas was crucial for authenticity. 'All too often the first thing that you're asked to do when you write a story that takes place in America is shoot it somewhere else,' Boyson noted. 'I think a sense of place is something that is really missing or fading from American movie culture.'
Audience Over Gatekeepers
Boyson's key takeaway is that gatekeepers don't make a movie; the audience does. 'The people who are showing up for the movie are young people and people who are like 'this isn't fringe, this is the reality I'm living,'' he said. 'I don't know that that makes the movie commercial, but we worked really hard to make it fun, entertaining and accessible.'
