This John Lennon biopic has been hailed an ‘incredible’ and it is available to watch on Disney+. Nowhere Boy is a 2009 directorial debut from Sam Taylor-Johnson with a stand out performance from her now husband Aaron Taylor-Johnson. The film is a fictionalised account of Lennon’s life depicting his earlier young adult years and how the band was formed with the creation of his first band, the Quarrymen and its evolution into the Beatles.
The film’s cast has gone on to have huge successes, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson being among the favourites to star as the next James Bond and Thomas Brodie-Sangster, who plays the role of Paul McCartney, having gone on to star in many films since and prior to Nowhere Boy.
The film’s synopsis reads: “The story of John Lennon’s childhood and teenage years from 1944 to 1960, his relationship with his Aunt Mimi and his mother Julia – the two dominant women in the first part of his life; his first meeting with Sir Paul McCartney and George Harrison (Sam Bell), their friendship, their love for music, and the birth of The Beatles.”
The film was written by Matt Greenhalgh and is based on Julia Baird’s (Lennon’s half-sister) biography of her half-brother. Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, Anne-Marie Duff, Sam Bell and Ophelia Lovibond star alongside Taylor-Johnson and Brodie-Sangster.
The film was well-received and was a moderate hit at the box office.
Rotten Tomatoes critics awarded the film with 81% and state: “Don’t expect any musical insights, but this look at John Lennon’s early life benefits from its restrained, low-key approach and some fine acting from Aaron Johnson.”
One Google reviewer wrote: “This movie was just overall beautiful. It was incredibly well made and had a wonderful aesthetic. Nowhere Boy definitely evoked many tears as well as made me laugh.”
An audience reviewer said the film “is the best I have seen about the Beatles” adding that the acting was “first-rate”.
With a series of new Beatles biopics starring Paul Mescal, Harris Dickinson, Joseph Quinn and Barry Keoghan each fosucing in on one member of the band on the horizon, it will be interesting to see how the films compare with Taylor-Johnson’s.
Nowhere Boy is available for streaming on Disney+.