Billy’s (Jack Corbett) friends are upset with him. Their days of slacking, shoplifting, and generally causing trouble around their sleepy Florida town have taken on a sour note after their de facto leader turned 16 and decided that he needed to do anything to make money. Despite their pleas to join them on their latest bout of mischief, Billy is only focused on hustling as a “Grubster” driver so he can earn $5000 and move out of his sister’s garage. This kind of sweet, wholesome premise provides the basis for many a solid coming-of-age movie, but Boys Go to Jupiter sets itself apart with its stunning, video game-like pastel visuals, and its surreal introduction of singing aliens.
Written, directed, and produced by Julian Glander, in his feature directorial debut, Boys Go to Jupiter is a whimsical late-summer gem of indie animation. Made by the self-taught 3D artist over 90 days with the open-source 3D modeling program Blender, Boys Go to Jupiter was inspired by Glander’s nostalgia for growing up in the suburbs, coupled with Google Street View coverage of Tampa, Florida. It turns the film into a curious intersection between a high-tech digital world and a charmingly lo-fi story about friendship and that strange period between adolescence and adulthood.
