The Selfish Giant

r96sk

July 9, 2020

7/10

Very much enjoyed this, from a film point of view of course given the dark and saddening tone of the story. <em>'The Selfish Giant'</em> is a gritty drama involving two kids who get mixed up in the wrong world. At the beginning I was worried it was going to turn into a cliché-filled, overly stereotypical tale of less well-off families. It does in small doses, but feels legitimate for the majority. Cast-wise it isn't amazing, though it's impossible not to give praise to youngsters Conner Ch…

griggs79

March 28, 2025

6/10

_The Selfish Giant_ is an interesting watch—gritty, heartfelt, and beautifully shot, with powerful performances from its young leads. There’s a rawness to it that feels authentic, and the friendship at its centre is touching in that bruised, kitchen-sink way. But as much as I wanted to be moved, something about it felt a bit… manipulative. Like it knew exactly how to push the poverty-porn buttons. It lingers on the hardship in a way that sometimes feels more exploitative than empathetic. I admir…

CinemaSerf

June 12, 2025

7/10

“Arbor” (Conner Chapman) is a bit of a tearaway who’s on medication that his elder brother frequently sells and hates going to school. His best mate is “Swifty” (Shaun Thomas) - a gentle giant of a boy, and the two are inseparable. When a brawl at school sees the former excluded permanently and his pal for a fortnight, they decide to turn their heads to scrap collection. A perilous business where much of what they are collecting is still connected to the live electricity supply, but there’s mone…