Boy Swallows Universe (2024) s01e01 Episode Script

1
[bird chirps]
[tense music plays]
[man 1] This is your last chance
to stop something very unpleasant
from happening.
Wanna tell us
where you hid the extra, Lyle?
[Lyle] Eli, I'm sorry, mate.
[man 1] Talk to me, Lyle!
I'm sorry, Frankie.
[Eli whimpers]
[tense music continues]
[man 1] Get him outta here.
- [Lyle wails]
- [Frankie shouts] Lyle! Lyle! Lyle! Lyle!
[man 2] Little shit.
[Lyle] No, no, no! Stop hitting me!
- Call the police, somebody!
- [man 2] Come on!
Somebody call the cops!
Don't put me in the fucking trunk!
- Shut up!
- Put me in the back seat!
Get in! Shit.
I love you, Frankie!
Shut up!
[dogs barking]
[tense music continues]
[brakes squeak]
[inhales sharply]
[door opens, closes]
No, no, no, no
- [gasps]
- [pounding]
[man 2] Don't fuck with Ivan Kroll,
ya fuckin' idiot.
[drill whirs]
[Lyle] What the fuck?
[tense music continues]
Ah
[drilling continues]
[yelps]
[grunts] Hm?
[tense music continues]
Oh.
Oh!
Fuck off!
Fuckin'
Wait!
[tense music continues]
[Lyle grunts]
[tense music crescendoes]
[Eli] You know, life is really different
when you grow up in a family of outlaws.
[Lyle] Uh
["The Unguarded Moment"
by The Church plays]
[Eli] But even in a town like Darra,
you still have school,
homework, and doing what grown-ups say.
Although I reckon grown-ups
can get confused,
to make the kind of bad decisions
that land them in jail.
Boys, wake up.
Slim'll be here soon.
Wake up.
Tell those friends
With cameras for eyes ♪
[Eli] So I need to help my mum and stepdad
avoid making those mistakes again,
and stay on the straight and narrow.
- Mum, mum! Guess what!
- What?
[Eli] Slim's gonna let me go down
the main road this time.
- [Frankie] Well, I trust you.
- [Eli chuckles]
And he reckons
I'm a much better driver than Lyle.
Wow.
["The Unguarded Moment"
continues in background]
[Eli] What you makin'?
You know, I'm not entirely sure yet.
Maybe ask me later.
Looks good though.
Thanks.
[Eli] Our mum really is
the best in the world.
She's always tryin' to do
what's best for me and my brother Gus,
and we're tryin' to get the best for her.
Her only fault is being
too trusting of people,
but I'm not sure that's a fault.
An unguarded moment ♪
Reckon the little fella
wants to drive, eh?
In an unguarded moment ♪
[Eli] The idea of writing this letter
actually came from Slim Halliday,
who you'd know from when he was
in Boggo Road Gaol for murder.
In an unguarded moment ♪
Our step-dad Lyle
met Slim in prison as well,
and these days,
we call Slim our babysitter.
["The Unguarded Moment" fades out]
Come on, budge up, then.
[Slim grunts]
You all right? What's Gus writin'?
[light music plays]
[Eli] A lot of what my brother writes
comes true eventually.
He's probably the smartest person
in the whole of Australia.
But he hasn't actually spoken
since he was seven years old.
"Your end is a dead blue wren."
[Slim] Your what?
I dunno. None of it makes sense
till after it's happened.
Okay, let's get goin'.
Remember what I told ya.
Clutch in, ignition on.
[whimsical music plays]
Okay. Okay. Up into first.
- [grinding]
- And then stead'ly on the peddly.
[whimsical music continues]
[engine revs]
Like that.
[whimsical music continues]
[winces]
[Slim] Hey, come on.
- Let's get on the road.
- Hey!
[car horn blaring]
- You're doing well, eh.
- Oh!
That's it, hold it.
[woman 1] Jesus Christ!
[Slim] Whoa.
[whimsical music continues]
Yep. Now you're drivin'.
[Eli] So I started writing
to Alex Bermuda.
Like you said,
he's only got four more years
in prison if he keeps out of trouble.
[Slim] Yeah, well, that's a big "if."
[Eli] Is it really boring in prison?
'Cause I was wondering
how you lasted 25 years.
[woman 2] Learn to fucking drive!
One thing you learn is how to master time.
Slow it all down
by focusing on the details
or you can speed it up by being so busy,
not enough hours in the day.
Busy with what?
[Slim] Collecting cockroach shit,
so you can sign your name with it.
Make your bed,
read some chapters of your book,
play yourself at chess,
then play the winner.
[whimsical music continues]
Go fishin' in your mind,
down off Redcliffe Jetty.
Catch a big bloody flathead, cook it,
watch the sun go down.
- Brake.
- Do what?
Brake!
[tires squeal]
[truck horn blaring]
Now you know what "give way" means.
Okay. Gear stick into neutral.
Ignition on.
Stead'ly on the peddly.
[gears grinding]
[Eli] According to Slim,
staying on the right side of the law
is just like driving.
[imitates Slim] "Stead'ly on the peddly."
Lyle!
Lyle, did you see me driving?
I was full-on driving!
Yeah, mate. Hey. You'll make
a bloody good driver one day, you will.
- [Slim] Better driver than you, mate.
- [Lyle] Right-o, Slim.
Cheers.
[Slim grunts]
Hey, mate, what you got on tonight?
Frankie, she's doing her Jane Fonda class,
and I got a few things
I gotta take care of.
Wondering if you could, uh,
keep an eye on the rugrats.
Make sure they do
their homework, you know?
Yeah, anytime.
[Lyle] Good on you, mate.
Hey, bugalugs.
Did you thank him?
- [Eli] Oh! Cheers, Slim!
- Yeah, bit bloody late now.
[Eli] Mum, I drove all the way down
to the cement factory.
And I learned to give way.
[Frankie] Hey, slow down.
Wipe your feet. Stop running.
[wondrous music plays]
Closer to home,
the Brisbane drug wars take a grisly turn.
Caitlyn Spies from the Courier Mail
has been following the story.
All we know so far is that the body
of an unidentified man was found
Ah, Eli, turn that off.
[Caitlyn] on a patch of waste ground
near Stapleton,
missing his right arm.
Police have linked the killing
to the ongoing conflict
between rival Asian drug gangs,
and are asking anyone with any information
to please come forward.
- [Eli] Mum!
- It's just the news, Eli.
That was Caitlyn Spies.
I don't care if it was Mikhail Gorbachev.
Do your homework.
[light music plays]
Oh, shut up.
Boys, stop!
[chuckling] Eli, stop!
Lyle and I are going out later.
Slim's babysitting.
Out where?
To the cinema.
[light music continues]
[inhales uneasily]
[sighs]
Hey, Slim, you're in the paper.
[Slim] Yeah, I saw that.
- [Eli] Is that the guy who put you away?
- [Slim] Corrupt psycho that he was.
So, did you actually kill
that taxi driver, or didn't you?
[Slim] What do you think?
I dunno.
I don't think you're a violent person.
[Slim] Never underestimate
what any man is capable of.
So do you think Lyle's gone back
to dealing smack?
I dunno. Why don't you ask him?
I didn't wanna put him on the spot.
He's doing his best, I suppose.
You're a good kid.
You reckon?
You just, you know, keep your nose clean,
stay out of trouble.
And you let Lyle deal with his own shit.
[whimsical music plays]
[Eli] Dear Alex.
There's a lot that goes unsaid
in our kind of family,
either from trying to protect each other
or just normal
head-in-the-sand kind of stuff.
I'd be interested to see where you stand
between saying too much
or saying too little.
Strikes me that both can end really badly.
Dear Eli, greetings
from your pal Alex Bermuda
and the boys in B16.
Still can't get over
you knowing Slim Halliday.
What a legend that man is.
In regards to getting involved
in things outside of your control,
I've had a fair while
to consider this myself.
We're all social beings, it's natural
to wanna pitch in for your mates.
But then, a lot of bad decisions are made
emotionally in the heat of the moment.
Case in point, the screws took our TV
the other day for some minor misdemeanor,
and the result was pretty untidy.
[whimsical music continues]
[cartoonish punching and yelling sounds]
[TV announcer]
Like sands in the hourglass,
so are the days of our lives.
[Alex] You can take a con's freedom,
take his rights, take his humanity,
but for God's sake,
don't take his Days of Our Lives.
[sighs pleasantly]
- [dog barks]
- [crickets chirp]
[Frankie] Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday ♪
Shh
- [Frankie laughs]
- Oh
[Frankie] I have to check on the kids.
[Lyle] They're fine. Shh.
- [Lyle groans]
- [Frankie laughs]
[door opens]
[pleasant music plays]
[door closes]
[humming softly]
[door opens]
[music grows more tense]
[objects clack and rattle]
[birds chirping, warbling]
[knife scraping on toast]
So, what was the movie?
The one you were at last night.
Oh yeah, it was good.
Terms of Endearment.
So, what's it about?
It's a love story.
- Does it have a happy ending?
- Mm, happy and sad.
Eat your breakfast.
Hey, so my boss says it's all right
to bring your kids to work, you know,
for the show and tell at school.
Good news, eh?
Only problem is we're not your kids.
Yeah, well, it's also "bring an annoying
little squirt to work" day,
so I reckon you both qualify. Hm
So, what did you think
of the film last night?
[Lyle] Oh
- What'd we
- Terms of Endearment.
Terms of Endearment.
Yeah, it was a real good one.
Real chick flick.
- Mm-hmm.
- Ask your mum about it.
- Hey?
- [Frankie] Mm-hmm?
Where's my bloody, um Oh, thank you.
And me
You're the best. Mwah!
All right, I'm offski.
Have a good day at school, boys.
You do know
that's not physically possible, right?
Yeah, well, that is why
it's the best preparation for life, mate.
[humming]
Do you think he's dealing again?
'Cause I think he's dealing again.
[wondrous music plays]
Yeah, well, not if she ends up
on smack again.
[wondrous music continues]
[Eli] Wanna take the shortcut?
- [wondrous music continues]
- [spray can hissing]
Rack off, Astro Boy! This is our spot.
Come on, Gus. Just leave it.
Yeah, go on, then.
[school bell ringing]
Gus, is it? We haven't met before.
I'm Poppy Birkbeck,
the guidance counselor. Take a seat.
I have to say,
you've certainly given my predecessors
plenty to think about.
I mean, everyone's agreed,
there's nothing wrong with you physically.
Hearing's perfect,
and obviously nothing wrong
with your brain,
judging by your academic record.
[breathes deeply] So it's just
the speaking we have a problem with.
Wonder if your artworks tell us something.
[sighs]
[Poppy] This was your still life.
And this was your still life with flowers.
And a lot of these pictures have
this car in there.
Family group, Last Wave.
Those kids in the back.
Is that you and your brother?
Heading where?
[sighs]
If you can't say it, write it.
Or draw it.
[opening drawer] I know
it may seem pointless, Gus,
but I believe you and your brother
have enormous potential,
were it not for some past trauma.
It could be your mother's addiction,
her leaving your father,
or something else
you've decided to keep quiet about,
in belief that silence will protect you.
Or someone.
And I'm here to say
that silence rarely does that.
Usually makes it worse.
Draw me what you're hiding, Gus.
[Gus drawing]
[contemplative music plays]
[chuckles]
[sighs]
[school bell ringing]
[contemplative music continues]
Hey, Tinker Bell.
Darren wants you
at the back of the science lab.
Everything all right, Gus?
[door closes ominously]
Hey. What's happening?
Hold out your hands and close your eyes.
[tense music plays]
He said hold out your hands.
You brain-damaged or something?
[squeaking]
Oh, fuckin' hell!
- [Darren] I need you to hold him.
- [boy] Do what you're told, bellend.
[tense music continues]
You need to stretch him out more.
One hand on his neck, one on his tail.
On the bin.
Tighter on his tail.
You need to wrap your fist around it.
What are you gonna Jesus, fuck!
It's my grandfather's. Samurai steel.
You're from Vietnam, Darren.
There is no way you're descended
from a samurai.
[Darren] Well, my friend,
that's what we're about to find out.
Oh, for Christ's sake.
Don't piss your pants,
I've practiced this.
Stay really still,
and nothing bad will happen.
Darren, this is nuts.
The mind's eye sees everything.
You'll hit my head
or cut off one of my hands.
- The true warrior does not waver.
- They'll put you in juvie! [shouts]
[Eli grunts]
[man] Oi! What are you students doing?
What the bloody hell is going on here?
Those lab rats are school property.
Come with me, pal.
[Eli groans]
So answer me this, Eli Bell.
In a country such as ours,
blessed as it is with natural advantages,
why our young folks should be so drawn
to crime and petty misdemeanors?
Uh, I don't know, sir, but I
I personally blame a lack
of physical exercise.
What were your friends doing behind
the science block in the first place?
Smoking?
Playing with yourselves?
Oh, they're not my friends, sir. I was
Don't lie to me, Eli.
You're really not very good at it.
Who else was with you?
Oh, uh, they could've been
from outside the school, actually.
One was big and fat and
the other was a little Vietnamese guy.
Yes, well, that's a fair description
of half of my PE class.
[inhales sharply]
I'm gonna need names.
Drop your strides.
Uh, my my what, sir?
Your shorts, off.
[grunts]
All right, now bend over.
Come on! Bend over.
I'm not gonna tell you it won't hurt,
'cause hurting is the point.
Punishment will cease when you tell me
the name of your co-conspirators.
Mm, my what, sir?
Why does no one speak English?
Your partners in crime.
- Your associates!
- Ah! Jesus.
Jesus, I'm quite convinced,
- was neither fat nor Vietnamese.
- [groaning]
[dramatic music plays]
Do we have a name yet?
[winces]
[Alex] Regarding on
how to deal with bullies,
you really only have two options.
Either keep out of their way
or take matters into your own hands.
[dramatic music continues]
[grunting]
[Alex] Problem with option two being
you never know
how that's all going to end.
So the closer I get to being released,
the more I adhere to the prisoner's code.
Stay out of it,
don't rat on mates,
keep your trap shut.
[dramatic music continues]
Your silence is admirable,
but it's misguided.
I already know the answer,
I just wanna hear you say it.
Very well.
[Eli groans]
[dramatic music crescendoes]
Mum, Lyle?
Mum?
[pleasant music plays]
Gus, we shouldn't.
Lyle'll kill us if he finds us in here.
[pleasant music continues]
Gus, we can't!
No one's been here
since the thing with Mum.
[imperceptible]
[Eli] Come back.
- What are we supposed to do with Mum?
- [Lyle] Sorry, mate.
- Lyle!
- I'll be back, I I promise.
Lyle!
[Lyle] I gotta get myself
straightened out.
I'll be back, I promise, mate.
[echoes] I'm sorry, mate!
Lyle!
Gus!
Gus, Lyle's back!
- Lyle!
- Hey!
Hello, mate! [laughs]
Let me look at you.
Ah.
How's Frankie?
Still pretty bad.
All right, let's go get her sorted.
[echoes]
[Frankie] Boys, boys, boys, boys
Boys!
[whimpering]
Boys! Boys! [screaming]
[screaming] You fucking arsehole! Fuck!
You're a fucking pig! Fuck!
I fucking hate you!
- [screams louder]
- [Lyle groans]
[Frankie sobbing] Boys, help me! Boys!
Don't do this to me. Don't do this to me.
- Please.
- [Lyle] Boys, it's gonna be all right.
Boys. Boys.
[pants]
I know you can fucking hear me!
[screaming]
Fuck you! Fuck you all!
Fuck! Fuck you! [echoes]
How did you know about this?
[mysterious music plays]
[mysterious music intensifies]
This is insane.
For what? What are we waiting for?
[ringing]
[ringing continues]
[Eli] Don't answer it!
[ringing continues]
[man] Eli.
[mysterious music continues]
- Eli?
- Who is this?
I'll give you three guesses.
No idea. Is this Alex?
There's a million Alexes.
He's my pen friend,
doing time in Boggo Road Gaol.
Slim introduced us.
I guess any friend
of the taxi driver killer
He didn't kill that guy!
If Slim's your babysitter,
he'd have to say that.
My mum said he didn't,
and my mum's not capable of lying.
Everybody lies,
the saints and the sinners.
The trick is knowing which one
you're talking to. Good luck, Eli.
[dial tone]
[Lyle] You two better not be down there.
[whimsical music plays]
[Eli] Oh, no! Come on, Gus.
[Lyle] Oi! You little mongrels,
get back up here right now!
- Go, Gus!
- Don't you do that, Gus! Gus!
- Eli!
- [Eli] Go, Gus, move!
[Lyle] Get up here right now,
you two little mongrels!
What's happening?
The fucking kids
are in the emergency tunnel!
Right, boys, this is it.
You're in big shit.
What are you gonna do?
Ugh. If they don't bury themselves alive,
I'll fuckin' murder 'em.
Lyle, go easy on them.
Gus, wait for me!
Gus.
Gus! Gus!
Gus, I'm stuck! Gus, come back.
- [groans]
- [whimsical music continues]
[Frankie] Uh, just make sure they're safe,
will ya?
- [groans]
- [whimsical music continues]
[Eli] Something It smells like poo!
Where are we?
You're right where you belong,
you little wankers.
You're very lucky
you both weren't buried alive.
Now come on out.
- Rack off. You'll give us a floggin'.
- Dead fuckin' right, I am, mate.
- Well, fuck that, then.
- Don't swear!
- You just did.
- Yeah, well, I'm an adult, aren't I?
You tell me, Lyle.
I thought adults were supposed to
learn from their mistakes.
You and Mum are dealing again.
It's the truth, innit?
- [sputters]
- [flies buzz]
Just announce it to the whole
bloody neighborhood, won't you?
[sighs]
Here. Now, get a hold of that
before you both get
bloody polio or hepatitis.
Fuck you, Lyle.
We spoke to that bloke on the phone.
- How come he knows my name?
- What bloke?
There's no bloke on the phone.
It's not even connected!
Me and Gus deserve some answers!
You know what?
You deserve to stay down there
until you, little man,
learn some bloody manners.
[groans]
[light music plays]
Has Lyle got Mum using again?
Fucking Lyle.
[groans softly]
[Frankie wailing]
Eli!
Eli!
[Lyle] Just let her rant and rage,
okay, boys?
I know it's difficult,
but we just gotta wait around, okay?
[Frankie] He's tryin' to kill me, Eli.
Call the cops! He's tryin' to kill me.
Call them and tell he's gonna murder me.
[cries]
[light music continues]
[Frankie coughing, retching]
[Frankie wailing]
Eli.
Eli!
[Lyle] You can't help her, mate.
[Frankie cries]
["Ruby Tuesday"
by The Rolling Stones plays]
Yesterday don't matter if it's gone ♪
[Frankie whimpers]
While the sun is bright ♪
Or in the darkest night ♪
No one knows ♪
She comes and goes ♪
Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday ♪
Who could hang a name on you? ♪
When you change with every new day ♪
Still I'm gonna miss you ♪
["Ruby Tuesday" fades out]
[light music plays]
[keys jingle]
[mutters tearfully]
[groans]
[grunts] Hey.
[breathes heavily]
[light music continues]
Group
Group hug.
[light music crescendoes]
[kissing]
[Frankie chuckling]
[laughing, muttering echoes]
You think he's gone out yet?
I'm sorry, Frankie.
Pretty crappy at this dad stuff.
No.
You're great, Lyle.
[Lyle] Hm?
[contemplative music plays]
We'd have been up shit creek
without a paddle
if you hadn't given us a home.
Oh.
- Not much of a home though, is it?
- Yes, it is.
[contemplative music continues]
The boys worship you.
And I kinda like you too.
[Eli] Come on, give me a leg up.
Come on, Gus
[Eli grunts]
Don't, Gus! I'm falling!
Gus! [grunts]
- [straining]
- [hopeful music plays]
[Eli] Come on, Gus, push!
[both coughing]
Ah, where are the bloody buttons
on this thing?
[hopeful music continues]
Blech.
[hopeful music fades out]
[chuckles]
You boys learned your lesson?
Is Lyle still mad at us?
Yeah, no, he's settled.
He's watching the footy.
So he's not gonna flog us?
Not if you say you're sorry.
"Act of having it off," ten letters.
Something, something, "P," something, "T."
[knocks on table]
Amputation.
- [Eli] Mum.
- [Frankie] Mm?
Just promise you and Lyle
aren't using again.
I promise.
"Family embrace," five and three.
Excuse me.
- [kisses]
- Good night.
Why did you run away from our dad?
[Frankie] Eli, it's late.
I don't wanna talk about Robert right now.
He did bad things, didn't he?
We all do bad things sometimes.
Alcoholism is a disease.
He wasn't a well man.
Was he a good man?
He was a good dancer.
- Was he more like me or more like Gus?
- I don't know, Eli.
He was like both of you.
Was he scary sometimes?
Like Gus is scary.
Gus isn't scary.
Yes, he is.
Yeah? In what way?
I dunno. It's the stuff he writes
in the air with his magic finger.
It's like he can hop forwards through time
and send back messages from the future.
Maybe he can.
You ever considered that possibility?
All I know is that boy loves you
more than he can say.
When you were born, he guarded your crib
like all human life depended on it.
He's the best friend you'll ever have.
And you're the best mum.
Nah.
Probably a bit below average,
but that's very kind of you to say.
No, really, you're too good
for this shitty place.
You were too good for Dad,
and now you're too good for Lyle.
[Frankie] Don't.
[Eli] You could've been a teacher
or a school counselor,
not living
with some drop-kick heroin pusher.
That's enough. Go to bed.
- [pleasant music plays]
- [sighs]
- [car creaking]
- [ethereal music playing]
- [music crescendoes]
- [fireworks whistle]
[fireworks whistling, bursting]
[door opens]
[whispering] I'm going after him.
Check where he goes. You coming?
- [cloth rips]
- [Eli winces]
[mysterious music plays]
Oh.
[grunts]
[imperceptible]
[inhales sharply]
[Darren] Don't move.
[Eli exhales]
Tink, if you're gonna be a ninja,
last thing you wanna wear
is blue pajamas
with half your arse hangin' out.
I can see your Aussie white bum
flashing on and off
like a fuckin' lighthouse.
[sighs] Hi, Darren.
You know, if I chopped your head off,
your brain'd stay alive for three minutes.
You could carry on talking
till you lost all consciousness.
I don't think that's true.
Only one way to find out.
[Darren cackles]
Did you shit yourself?
Almost.
What's Lyle doing here?
Uh
I reckon he's collecting heroin
from your mum.
[scoffs]
Very good, bellend.
Who else knows what he's up to?
[mysterious music continues]
The guy on the phone, maybe.
What guy on the phone?
There was a guy on the phone.
I spoke to him by accident.
He seemed to know what was going on.
Could've been Ivan Kroll.
- Who's Ivan Kroll?
- Just an arsehole with a motorbike.
You see on the news
about that bloke who lost an arm?
That was probably Ivan's work.
Wanna eat something?
- I'll be all right.
- You better come in.
Be rude not to.
[chuckles softly]
Shoes off, dick wad.
[intriguing music plays]
Check this out.
Go on, have a look.
[intriguing music crescendoes]
[woman]so much money. It's the best.
[Eli] So when did Lyle go back
to dealing smack?
[Darren] What makes you think
he ever stopped?
He just moved up the ladder.
Sucks, doesn't it?
Thinking you're with the good guys
and discovering you're the bad guys.
[woman] Darren!
[intriguing music continues]
- Come, she'd like to meet you.
- Oi!
Found this one spying in the yard.
- The one who didn't rat about the rat.
- Eli, what are you doin' here?
Darren invited me.
It's 1:00 in the morning. Go home!
- 'Kay, I'm going.
- You always give up that easy?
Why did you come here?
Because he's an idiot.
- Just followed Lyle.
- [Lyle] Mm.
Because?
You have question for him.
- Okay, that's enough, guys.
- I say when it's enough.
Okay.
Come here, boy.
Closer.
Why don't you ask Lyle
your most important question?
I'll make sure that he answer truthfully.
[gentle music playing faintly]
Why are you dealing drugs again?
- For the money, mate.
- So why are we still poor?
I said one question.
Now it's my turn.
Why didn't you rat on my son?
It's the prisoner's code.
Stay out of it, keep your trap shut.
[laughs]
[woman] You taught him well.
You can both leave now.
Okay.
Bring him back another time.
Maybe we talk about work opportunity.
Okay, thank you.
[woman] Eli?
When he say it just for the money,
the money is for your family.
He's doing this because he loves you.
[chuckles softly]
[in Vietnamese] Off to bed.
[in English] Lyle.
Lyle, come back.
Please, Lyle!
Don't you ever follow me again, you hear?
- [Eli] Lyle! Lyle!
- [Lyle] That was really embarrassing.
[crying] You're embarrassed?
Lyle, you're a fucking drug dealer!
I mean, what the fuck is it
with you and Mum?
"Do your homework!
Eat your broccoli! Tidy the kitchen!"
I mean, like, Mum's an addict,
and you're the idiot who got her hooked!
Righto, come on, let's go, mate.
[Eli groans]
Oh, what Get up, Eli.
What are you doing? Get up.
[Eli cries]
- Get up!
- I can't.
You're just gonna push me down again.
Don't cry, you great big pussy.
What are you crying for?
I don't know.
I just got a whole lot of tears inside me.
I can't help it.
[Eli continues crying]
Here, clean yourself up.
Take it.
[Eli sniffles]
[blows nose]
Now, I know dealin' smack
is a shitty way to make a livin',
but no one gets rich
doing an honest job anymore.
- That's kinda what Darren said.
- Oh, did he, now?
Honestly.
Pretty soon, mate,
we're gonna be away from this place.
Things are gonna get good, I promise.
Things are gonna get so good
you'll forget they were ever bad.
[Eli sniffles]
You ever wondered why you cry so easily?
'Cause I'm a pussy.
No, because you're a good kid,
and don't you ever be ashamed of crying.
You cry because you give a shit.
People that don't cry,
they don't give a shit,
and God knows there's enough
of them fuckwits at large in the world.
[gentle music plays]
You good?
You done crying?
Yep.
All right, let's go home.
[gentle music continues]
[whispering] Right, mate,
straight to bed, okay?
[gentle music continues]
Hey.
Mum isn't using,
but Lyle's dealing like we thought.
And Bich Dang offered me a job.
I reckon we can help him.
You know, go into business together,
make a shitload of money,
finally get the cash
to move Mum away from here.
[gentle music continues]
What do you reckon?
[yawns]
I'm gonna be dead tomorrow.
[motorcycle revs]
[menacing music plays]
[menacing music crescendoes]
[phone ringing]
[ringing continues]
[ringing stops]
[Slim] This is a test.
No test is worth anything
unless it's difficult to pass.
And this is yours.
["I Send a Message" by INXS plays]
[Eli] Bobby!
You look how happy your mum is.
Why would you want anyone to risk that?
Robert's your father.
Are you all right, Dad? Whoa!
[Lyle] It's gonna get better, Frankie.
It's gonna get so good
you'll forget it was ever bad.
[Darren] Ivan Kroll is a bogeyman
to keep everyone in line.
["I Send a Message" continues]
[Slim] Any word of Lyle?
[Eli] No, but I'll find him
before anything bad happens to him.
["I Send a Message" continues]
[Slim] Sometimes bad things happen
to get good things.
I promise you that our sacred mission
has only just begun.
[Eli] Where's my mum?
[Slim] Your mum is in prison.
I wanna see my boys!
- Are you real?
- [Eli] It's not a dream, Mum.
It's just you and me, Gus.
No one's going to help us.
- [shouts]
- [grunts]
Caitlyn Spies? I'm Eli Bell.
You and me, we're the daylight.
[Frankie] Sending our boys
out into the world,
it's something to be proud of.
[Slim] Pain and pleasure's all part
of being human.
And if it doesn't hurt,
not real life, mate.
- Hey, in the silence ♪
- [tires squeal]
I think of you ♪
All you have to do is believe.
I send a message ♪
Hope it gets through ♪
["I Send a Message" ends]
[light music plays]