Boys Go to Jupiter
Cartuna | Release Date: August 8, 2025 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
76
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 15 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
The New York TimesNatalia WinkelmanAug 7, 2025
Here is a movie notably unafraid to manifest the weirdest of the weird, no matter what the Mr. Moolahs of the world have to say. Read full review
88
LarsenOnFilmJosh LarsenDec 27, 2025
At once a time-capsule snapshot of the economic despair of American youth and a larger, existential consideration of how to find meaning in a seemingly callous universe, Boys Go to Jupiter is sharp, knowing, realistic, and yet somehow uplifting. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comMatt Zoller SeitzAug 15, 2025
At its best, “Boys Go to Jupiter” has the bustling energy of those ensemble comedy-dramas about communities of oddballs that Robert Altman and Hal Ashby used to make, in which even minor characters are so exquisitely original they could be the lead of their own movie. Read full review
88
The Seattle TimesChase HutchinsonAug 14, 2025
Glander’s debut has vibes to spare, but he never coasts on them even as Billy coasts around the Florida landscapes. In the end, he delivers a full meal of a film that, like the giant hot dog we see in one shot in the middle, is a mesmerizing work of art worth taking a big bite out of. It will never be to all tastes, but to those who find themselves on its wavelength, it couldn’t be sweeter. Read full review
83
IndieWireChristian ZilkoAug 20, 2025
Indie animation remains one of the toughest niches to find traction in, but here’s hoping “Boys Go to Jupiter” launches the film career of an artist who graces us with his whimsy for decades to come. Read full review
83
Original-CinLiam LaceyAug 12, 2025
Boys Go to Jupiter, the debut feature film from American 3-D animator, video game designer, and illustrator Julian Glander, is both jaded and fresh, a Gen-Z version of Richard Linklater’s early slacker comedies with a sprinkling of Studio Ghibli’s childlike fantasy. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubToussaint EganAug 7, 2025
It’s a hilarious and touching adventure, made all the more so by its unique and enchanting animation. Read full review
75
Paste MagazineJim VorelAug 6, 2025
Handsomely odd and yet evocative of universal adolescent experiences, Boys Go to Jupiter trades in familiar coming-of-age sentiment, but looks like no other film you’ve ever seen in doing it. Read full review
75
The Film StageDan MeccaAug 6, 2025
This film is often funny and sometimes introspective about this land of screens we find ourselves trapped inside. A bit long in the tooth at times, it is undeniably engaging and reliably weird. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineSteven ScaifeAug 4, 2025
Julian Glander powerfully channeling the ennui of his characters with images of everything from vacant parking lots to empty swimming pools. Read full review
70
Screen RantBen SherlockAug 7, 2025
It’s a mind-bending visual odyssey wrapped around a grounded, relatable human story. Read full review
70
ColliderRoss BonaimeAug 6, 2025
Boys Go to Jupiter is the type of animated feature we need more of: experimental, unusual, yet fun and familiar. Read full review
67
The PlaylistBrian FarvourSep 3, 2025
For all its faults, whether intentional or otherwise, the ending still manages to stick the landing, in all its strange glory, resulting in something that must be seen; that said, it’s not to be believed, but rather to appreciate, as tricky as that may be. Read full review
60
Next Best PictureSara ClementsAug 30, 2025
In the end, Boys Go to Jupiter may not fully stick the landing, but it’s a bold, vibrant, and unmistakably personal work of animated cinema. It won’t be for everyone, but like any great piece of outsider art, it doesn’t try to be. Glander has created something strange and resonant, a lo-fi lullaby for the anxious and overworked who just want to be a kid again. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleRichard WhittakerSep 18, 2025
It feels like Glander was hoping to create something that all the former kids that grew up on Cartoon Network’s wild, weird era will gravitate towards. But the reality is that it’s not as bizarre, creative, transgressive, or even just plain entertaining as the average episode of The Amazing World of Gumball, and that was about a 12-year-old cat boy and his fish friend. Read full review
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