Our Hero, Balthazar
2026 American comedy-drama film
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Our Hero, Balthazar is a 2025 American black comedy-drama film directed and produced by Oscar Boyson in his directorial debut, from a screenplay by Boyson and Ricky Camilleri. It stars Jaeden Martell, Asa Butterfield, Chris Bauer, Jennifer Ehle, Anna Baryshnikov, Noah Centineo, Becky Ann Baker, Avan Jogia and Pippa Knowles.
- Oscar Boyson
- Ricky Camilleri
- Oscar Boyson
- Ricky Camilleri
- Jon Wróblewski
- David Duque-Estrada
- Miles Skinner
- Alex Hughes
- Paul Paul
- Halsey
- Jaeden Martell
- Jaeden Martell
- Asa Butterfield
- Chris Bauer
- Jennifer Ehle
- Anna Baryshnikov
- Noah Centineo
- Becky Ann Baker
- Avan Jogia
- Pippa Knowles
| Our Hero, Balthazar | |
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| Directed by | Oscar Boyson |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Christopher Messina |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | James William Blades |
Production companies |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 91 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $263,917[2][3] |
It had its world premiere at Tribeca Festival on June 8, 2025. It was released on March 27, 2026, by WG Pictures.
Premise
A wealthy teenager tries to gain his crush's attention by posting videos pleading for stricter gun laws. As an online troll begins mocking his videos, he becomes convinced the troll is a mass shooter, and travels to Texas to confront him.[4]
Cast
- Jaeden Martell as Balthazar Malone
- Asa Butterfield as Solomon Jackson
- Chris Bauer as Beaver Jackson, Solomon's abusive father
- Jennifer Ehle as Nicole Malone, Balthazar's wealthy mother
- Anna Baryshnikov as Taylor
- Noah Centineo as Anthony, Balthazar's life coach
- Becky Ann Baker as Elaine, Solomon's invalid grandmother
- Avan Jogia as Supes
- Pippa Knowles as Eleanor, Balthazar's classmate and love-interest
Production
Principal photography took place in May 2024.[5][6]
Release
It had its world premiere at Tribeca Festival on June 8, 2025.[7][8] In February 2026, WG Pictures acquired distribution rights to the film, and released it on March 27, 2026.[9]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of 40 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Oscillating between brutal humor and unsettling insight, Our Hero, Balthazar is an audacious and often astonishing directorial debut tinged with riveting performances and sprawling thematic ambition."[10] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 72 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[11]