Written and directed by Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz
Starring Zack Gottsagen, Shia LaBeouf and Dakota Johnson
MPAA rating: PG-13
Running time: 1 hour and 33 minutes

by Fiona Underhill

In the tradition of great American double-act road trip movies from Easy Rider and Thelma & Louise to more recent examples such as Seeking a Friend for the End of the World and The Fundamentals of Caring comes The Peanut Butter Falcon; in which mismatched duo Shia LaBeouf and Zack Gottsagen don’t so much drive cross country as walk and sail, in the spirit of Huck Finn. Zak (Gottsagen) is a young man with Down Syndrome who is being cared for in a retirement home because his family have given him up. Zak is desperate to escape, mainly so he can make it to the wrestling school he has seen on his favorite video tape featuring his hero: The Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church). Enlisting the help of his partner-in-crime Carl (Bruce Dern), he manages to escape and his care-giver Eleanor (Dakota Johnson) sets off in pursuit, hoping to track him down before the situation is reported to the authorities.