Miniseries · Netflix
Boy Swallows Universe
The acclaimed novel comes alive.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Phoebe Tonkin
Frances Bell
7 eps
Lee Tiger Halley
Gus Bell
7 eps
Felix Cameron
Eli Bell
5 eps
Eloise Rothfield
Shelly Huffman
4 eps
Adam Briggs
Alex Bermuda
4 eps
Zachary Wan
Darren Dang
4 eps
Auden Ryan
4 eps
Jake Cockburn
4 eps
Haiha Le
Bich Dang
4 eps
Aimee Duroux
4 eps
Deborah Mailman
Poppy Birkbeck
3 eps
Ben O'Toole
Teddy Callis
3 eps
Jordy Campbell
Bobby Linyette
3 eps
Iain Gardiner
Gene Crimmins
3 eps
Susan Bush
News Announcer
3 eps
Zoe de Plevitz
Sophie
3 eps
Zac Burgess
Eli Bell
3 eps
Millie Donaldson
Shelly Huffman
2 eps
Kate Box
Brennan
2 eps
Jane Larkin
Penny
1 eps
Amy Ingram
Laura
1 eps
Rachel Hunt
Brighton Beach Woman
1 eps
Sheridan Riley
Work Space Prisoner
1 eps
Holly Attard
1 eps
Brittany Grey
Bonnie
1 eps
Emily Eskell
PC Daley
1 eps
Anthony LaPaglia
Tytus Broz
3 eps
Simon Baker
Robert Bell
5 eps
Christopher James Baker
Ivan Kroll
6 eps
Travis Fimmel
Lyle Orlik
4 eps
Bryan Brown
Arthur 'Slim' Halliday
5 eps
Sophie Wilde
Caitlyn Spies
6 eps
Toby Schmitz
Tim Cotton
5 eps
Rob Carlton
Brian Robertson
5 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How Boy Swallows Universe actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
Boy Swallows Universe reads strongest on Bingeability, Serialized and Tension.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
A young boy growing up in the suburbs of 1980s Brisbane faces the harsh realities of life — and the looming dangers that threaten his family.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E06
Boy Seeks Work
Eli and Gus show Frankie what they've planned for their future. Later, Eli attempts to get a job as a journalist at the local paper.
- Directed by Kim Mordaunt
- Written by John Collee
S01E01
Boy Smells Rat
Eli starts the day with a turbulent driving lesson from Slim. School bullies confront Eli with a challenge, but a teacher catches them in the act.
- Directed by Bharat Nalluri
- Written by John Collee
S01E07
Boy Meets End
Eli finds an unlikely source for a story to submit to The Courier-Mail. New evidence leads Caitlyn to uncover the truth about the criminal underworld.
- Directed by Kim Mordaunt
- Written by John Collee
S01E02
Boy Gets Chop
Lyle shows Eli and Gus around his workplace and introduces them to his boss, Tytus Broz. Later, a surprise visit to Eli's house leads to trouble.
- Directed by Bharat Nalluri
- Written by John Collee
S01E03
Run Boy Run
Frankie gets herself in trouble for protecting her sons. Eli searches for a way back home to look for his stepdad — and his missing stash.
- Directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse
- Written by John Collee
S01E04
Boy Loses Dad
Caitlyn continues investigating Lyle's disappearance. Accompanied by police, the school's guidance counselor checks on the boys.
- Directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse
- Written by John Collee
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S01E01
Boy Smells Rat
- Directed by Bharat Nalluri
- Written by John Collee
S01E03
Run Boy Run
- Directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse
- Written by John Collee
S01E04
Boy Loses Dad
- Directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse
- Written by John Collee
S01E05
Boy Takes Flight
- Directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse
- Written by John Collee
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
John Collee
Showrunner
Joel Edgerton
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Toby Bentley
Executive producer
Bharat Nalluri
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Trent Dalton
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Troy Lum
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Sophie Gardiner
Executive producer
Kerry Kohansky-Roberts
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Andrew Mason
Executive producer
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Joel EdgertonExecutive Producer
- Toby BentleyExecutive Producer
- Bharat NalluriExecutive Producer
- Trent DaltonExecutive Producer
- Troy LumExecutive Producer
- Sophie GardinerExecutive Producer
Writing
- John ColleeWriter
Direction
- Bharat NalluriDirector
- Kim MordauntDirector
- Jocelyn MoorhouseDirector
Cinematography
- Shelley Farthing-DaweDirector of Photography
- Mark WarehamDirector of Photography
Music
- Johnny KlimekOriginal Music Composer
- Gabriel Isaac MounseyOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- NetflixStreaming
- Netflix Standard with AdsStreaming
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