The Peanut Butter Falcon is a film about a young man with Downs syndrome (named Zak), housed in a nursing home, who escapes to seek out The Salt Water Redneck, his pro-wrestling idol. Zak wants to enroll in Redneck’s pro-wrestling school and follow in his hero’s footsteps. With a premise like that, this might have been a syropy mess of a movie. Instead, it’s a great little film, tightly written and very well acted.

It’s a buddy movie and a rafting down the river Huck Finn kind of movie and it’s all about finding freedom. I was reminded of Mud in parts (did you see that 2012 gem?), and a little of the 2010 remake of True Grit as well. While Peanut Butter Falcon is for sure a feelgood movie, Shia LaBeouf’s excellent rough & ready performance keeps this effort from becoming too saccharine.

Recommended.