The Black Balloon (2008): cast, story & where to watch
2008 · Film · ★ 6.6
Released in 2008, The Black Balloon is a drama film directed by Elissa Down, running about 97 minutes. “Sometimes it's hard to be the odd one in.” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. Thomas is turning 16. His dad's in the army and they've just moved to a town in New South Wales; his mom is pregnant; his older brother, Charlie, who's autistic, has his own adolescent sexual issues. Thomas finds Charlie an embarrassment in public, so when Thomas is attracted to Jackie, a girl in his swim class, Charlie presents any number of obstacles when she drops by their house, when the three of them go for a walk, and during a family birthday dinner. Can Thomas find a way to enter the world of teen romance and still be his brother's keeper, or is Charlie's disability going to prove more than Thomas can handle?
Who’s in it. The Black Balloon stars Rhys Wakefield as Thomas Mollison, Toni Collette as Maggie Mollison, Luke Ford as Charlie Mollison and Gemma Ward as Jackie Masters, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 6.6/10, The Black Balloon has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response. It went on to earn $5M at the box office.
Where to watch. In GB you can stream it on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads and rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Black Balloon page.
If you liked it. Fans of The Black Balloon tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch The Black Balloon (2008)?
- In GB, The Black Balloon is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads, and rent or buy from Apple TV Store, Amazon Video and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is The Black Balloon worth watching?
- The Black Balloon holds an audience score of 6.6 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy drama. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in The Black Balloon?
- The Black Balloon stars Rhys Wakefield, Toni Collette, Luke Ford, Gemma Ward and Rebecca Massey.
- When was The Black Balloon released?
- The Black Balloon was released in 2008, with a runtime of about 97 minutes.