Common Sense Media Review
By Tara McNamara
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Very dark school shooter comedy has porn, gore, drugs.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Our Hero, Balthazar
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In OUR HERO, BALTHAZAR, the titular character—an affluent Manhattan teen (Jaeden Martell)—tries to win the affection of a student activist (Pippa Knowles) by posting an emotional video on social media about a recent school shooting. After receiving a DM from a gunman who's planning an act of extreme violence in Fort Worth (Asa Butterfield), Balthy flies to Texas with the belief that he can stop him.
Is It Any Good?
Oscar Boyson's feature directing debut is a messed-up masterpiece. Our Hero, Balthazar is incredibly impressive and yet so twisted that you almost have to hope that no one sees it. No matter how prevalent school shootings have become, using them as a source of comedy still feels too soon. It's stomach-churning, but the film is also so unique that it holds our nervous attention as we peek through our fingers.
Boyson and co-writer Ricky Camilleri's scathing social commentary cuts to the core of the impossibility of growing up in the 2020s, regardless of your circumstances. Balthy and Solomon are such well-drawn, three-dimensional characters that what happens to them feels inevitable—you won't predict how the movie will end, and yet you may realize afterward that it was the only possible outcome. You can't look away, and you won't be able to forget it, because as shocking as this film is, there's a truth in it. Our Hero, Balthazar is raising a red flag: The proliferation of social media, "manosphere" attitudes, increasing violence, and isolation are the volatile mix that kids are being raised in—not a threat coming at them, but the very air they breathe. Do they survive it, or does it shape them?
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how social media impacts the person we think we should be. What do you post to create the aesthetic or personality you want others to assume about you? What things would you not post? While an extreme example, how does Our Hero, Balthazar demonstrate the danger of creating a false persona online?
What is a grift? What are the examples of grift from the film? Is a social media influencer a type of grifter? Why, or why not?
How are Balthy and Solomon both gaining attention with their provocative online personas? And how are the filmmakers trying to gain viewers through a provocative plot? Why does provocative content often grab our attention, and what do you think might be the outcome of everyone watching entertainment that's intended to be shocking?
Do you think guns and violence are glorified here? Why, or why not? What is the film saying about how glorified violence influences U.S. society?
How are drinking and drug use depicted? Are there realistic consequences? Why does that matter?
Movie Details
- In theaters : March 27, 2026
- Cast : Jaeden Martell , Asa Butterfield , Jennifer Ehle
- Director : Oscar Boyson
- Inclusion Information : Asian Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Picturehouse
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 91 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : crude sexual content, graphic nudity, language throughout, some violence/a grisly image and drug use
- Last updated : April 8, 2026
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