Almost Lost Boys: Maturity and Identity in Nicholas Verso's 'Boys in the Trees'

The attainment of wisdom and the consolidation of a sense of self are twin aspects of coming of age, yet teenagers sometimes perceive the two as though they are at odds. Nicholas Verso's debut feature dramatises this very turmoil that typifies adolescence, but – with magic-realist visuals, a nostalgic 1990s setting, and supernatural and horror elements – the film itself seems muddled in carving out its identity, writes Cavan Gallagher.

Additional keywords: Toby Wallace, teen, puberty, high school, youth, Halloween.