The Peanut Butter Falcon

Although he is only 22 years old, Zak (Zack Gottsagen) already lives in a nursing home. This is where he was shipped off to because of his Down syndrome. But Zak dreams of living a normal life and making a career as a professional wrestler. So far, every escape attempt has failed, not least because Zak's guardian Eleanor (Dakota Johnson) always keeps an eye on him. But one night, the young man actually manages to sneak off the premises unnoticed. On his way to meet his big wrestling idol Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church), Zak runs into Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), who is currently on the run himself from a group of vengeful fishermen. Although Tyler is more of a loner, he allows Zak to accompany him. And soon the unlikely men become true friends, but their journey together seems to end abruptly when Eleanor catches up with them.

The Peanut Butter Falcon, the directorial debut of duo Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz, takes viewers on a journey of humor and poetry, immersed in wonderful imagery and carried by great actors. First and foremost is Zack Gottsagen, who makes his feature debut with this film. Tyler Nilson met the young man a few years ago at a workshop for actors with disabilities. Gottsagen's charisma and self-confidence impressed him so much that he wrote the story of the wrestling fan Zak together with Michael Schwartz.

With subtle humor and far from any clichés, a moving film about friendship has been created, a rousing and entertaining plea for the power of dreams and the freedom of all people. With a sensitive touch, the filmmakers manage not to focus exclusively on Zak, but also to draw the other characters in an interesting way. This starts with the small-time crook Tyler, who is embodied by Shia LaBeaouf in a gruff, yet somehow very sympathetic way. But Eleanor or the former wrestler Salt Water Redneck - two characters that could have easily degenerated into walking clichés - are also allowed to reveal a pleasant complexity.

The Peanut Butter Falcon is one of those American indie gems that instantly warms your heart and just makes you feel good. It's a film that shows us how important it is to dream and that when we open our hearts, something quite wonderful can come from it. And that's exactly why there's a big one for this little film: absolutely worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp