We were joined back on the Popternative show by Jaeden Martell (Arcadian, It) and Asa Butterfield (Sex Education, Flux Gourmet) to discuss their new darkly coming-of-age satire, Our Hero, Balthazar. The film was released in select theaters on March 27.
Written by Oscar Boyson (Good Time, Uncut Gems) and Ricky Camilleri (Build Brunch) and directed by Boyson in his feature directorial debut, Our Hero, Balthazar follows Balthazar (Martell) a wealthy New York teenager who becomes the face of school shooting acitivism to impress a girl. Online, he chats with Solomon (Butterfield), an isolated teenager in Texas being pushed into the online spotlight by his father. Convinced he can prevent an act of extreme violence, Balthazar travels to Texas resulting in an unexpected connection between two neglected boys.
The cast also includes Chris Bauer (True Blood, The Wire), Jennifer Ehle (Lioness, Zero Dark Thirty), Anna Baryshnikov (Dickinson, The Kindergarten Teacher), Noah Centineo (Street Fighter, The Recruit), Becky Ann Baker (All Happy Families, Holler), Avan Jogia (56 Days, Orphan Black: Echoes), and Pippa Knowles (And Just Like That…).
Martell says his character, Balthazar, was a “tough cookie” to crack, requiring deeper exploration because of how different he is from himself. Butterfield highlights the film’s careful balance of comedy and drama, noting that while the director leaned into absurdity, the actors focused on keeping the performances grounded and emotionally real.
Watch the conversation with Jaeden Martell and Asa Butterfield below.
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