A funny story of loyalty between two boys

☆☆☆☆

Hilarious comedy “Eaten by Lions” directed by Jason Wingard and written by Jason and David Isaac tells a wonderful story between half-brothers Omar and Pete, two orphaned boys who have lost their beloved grandmother and start an adventurous journey to find the real dad of Omar’s. Omar, played by Antonio Aakeel, has a strong sense of responsibility to take care of Pete, his younger brother with cerebral palsy played by the amazing Jack Carroll. One of the most impressive things you can see in the film is the strong bond between Omar and Pete and how much they need and love each other. This brotherly connection is also represented through different metaphors in the movie like “The Dog and the Wolf” – a short story about loyalty that their grandmother explained to the boys when they were younger, which is also a parallelism between the story and the life of the boys. Moreover, it’s a sweet way to introduce the character’s behavior.

One of the most hilarious characters is the Fortune Teller, played by Tom Binns. He will reveal the information Omar and Pete needs to know to continue their trip to find Omar’s dad. Another fascinating and amusing character is Ray, the uncle of Amy, played by Johnny Vegas, who accommodates Pete and Omar for a few days in his house when they are completely lost at the beginning of their trip. Both actors have a short but important role in the film and the viewers will love them from the very first minute.

Director Jason Wingard introduces scenes in a rather original and surprising way. He uses drawings from Omar’s childhood to explain what’s going to happen in the next few minutes, this shows an incredible tenderness and sensitivity that easily touches you. Omar’s drawings guide the story and give an innocent gaze to it. We can also see in the film that Omar and Pete cannot live separately and despite all the family conflicts that they’ll have to face, they’ll try very hard to stay together – they won’t let the family adopt just one of them, they’re a pack: you take both or neither.

It’s interesting how the writers managed to make a rather difficult and hard story -two boys alone trying to find the biological dad of one of them- a really funny story, where the viewer can connect with the characters from the beginning. The film gets you thinking about the relationships you have, especially the ones which are loyal, kind and give you the courage to face things you might be scared to do alone. But more specifically, it makes you think about the relationship you have with your parents, brothers, and sisters and appreciate it.

EATEN BY LIONS will celebrate its World Premiere on 21^st June at Edinburgh International Film Festival 2018 & London Premiere at the London Indian Film Festival on 25^th and 27^th June!

Want to know more about the film? Watch the trailer below!