Our Hero, Balthazar is a darkly comic satire that zeroes in on the bizarre realities of youth culture and the performative nature of online activism. The story follows Balthazar “Balthy” Malone (Jaeden Martell), a hyper-privileged and deeply isolated Manhattan teenager pre-occupied with digital clout. Desperate to win the heart of Eleanor (Pippa Knowles), a fiercely dedicated activist, Balthy curates a theatrical online “savior” persona that eventually lures him into a high-stakes, real-world confrontation in Texas with an online troll named Solomon (Asa Butterfield). What begins as a cynical bid for romantic and digital approval spirals into a bizarre, psychological dance of companionship between two deeply lonely boys from opposite sides of the social tracks. Ultimately, the film serves as an unsettling look at how digital misunderstandings morph into real-world consequences when people chase the applause of an audience rather than true connection.
A Q&A with director Oscar Boyson in conversation with Maine Media Workshops’ Wayne Beach will follow the screening.
Runtime 1h 36m
Directed by Oscar Boyson
Starring Jaeden Martell, Asa Butterfield
