When something breaks in life, what matters most is how you fix it. When “The Unbreakable Boy” debuted on the silver screen Feb. 21, it not only entertained audiences, but taught them useful life lessons. With interesting characters and captivating storytelling, audiences were able to connect with the film deeply.
The project follows parents Scott LeRette portrayed by Zachary Levi and Teresa LeRette (Meghann Fahy) who learn how to navigate life differently after learning their son Austin LeRette (Jacob Laval) has brittle bone disease and autism. The family goes through struggles or “breaks” as referred to by Austin, but throughout the film, the recurring message is how the family decides to fix the damage.
In the movie, Scott battles with alcoholism, Teresa grapples with handling her family and Austin struggles to “be seen” by his dad. With strong thematic elements – some relatable to movie-goers, the movie is successful at garnering the attention of audiences.
Levi’s casting as the dad, Scott LeRette, was an interesting turn for Levi and proved to be a new milestone in the actor’s career booking a role in a drama film. While there were some doubts about his capabilities at first glance, Levi didn’t disappoint, and similar to his electrifying hit in 2019 with “Shazam,” he once again proved to audiences his acting abilities.
As for the mom, Teresa, her acting did not disappoint whatsoever. There were moments in the film where Fahy would be in tears or angry, and while other actors struggled to deliver intense emotions to the audience, Fahy did not disappoint. Her acting made the film more believable and brought a dose of reality that resonated with the women in the audience.
The character of Austin LeRette was truly an inspiration to see and left viewers feeling warmth in their hearts. The character brought fresh life into the film and the actor delivered his role with such great enthusiasm that it was considered contagious to audiences. Laval did a tremendous job at portraying the OG Austin and it’s safe to say that hats are in season again.
One specific element that stands out from the entire film is how the writers executed the storyline so beautifully. There’s not one moment that doesn’t stand out to audiences or leave them in tears of happiness or sadness. There were scenes that felt highly relatable and emotional to viewers. Some examples include the scene where Austin is taken to psychiatric evaluation and Teresa breaks down in tears knowing she’ll be separated from her son, or when Scott has an epiphany and realizes how he needs to be more optimistic like Austin – the only complaint is how emotional it all was because of the tears audiences had to hold in.
It was inspiring and beautiful that Hollywood greenlit this project because it’s rare to see exceptional films about autism or real life experiences. The last notable film relating to autism being “The Peanut Butter Falcon“ with Shia Lebouf and Dakota Johnson. Hollywood should strive to produce more films like this as other theatrical productions are too ‘artificial’ and lack reality and relatability to audiences compared to other projects released in 2025. “The Unbreakable Boy” however, doesn’t fail to make viewers leaving theaters feeling better and more motivated to lead better lives, which is why this film deserves a nine out of 10.
