Bullied Boy Gets Humiliated Every Day, But They Never Imagined He Will Take Revenge.
A boy faces daily bullying and humiliation, enduring constant taunts and mistreatment. But one day, he decides to stand up for himself. No one could predict how he would turn the tables and seek justice in his own way.
‘SPOILER ALERT’
The movie begins with an introduction of a young boy named Boy. He introduces himself to the class, saying his name is Boy, and Michael Jackson is his favorite person. He talks about Michael Jackson, delving into his personal life. He says Michael Jackson is the best singer and dancer in the world and mentions a record he released last month called Thriller. The record sold gazillions of copies, and after that, Michael Jackson lives in a castle with a snake and a monkey. Boy adds that he can even see Michael Jackson in the stars.
Boy lives in a white house with his grandmother, Nan, and his cousins Hucks, Kiko, Mura, Chay, and Kelly. He also has a pet goat named Leaf and a six-year-old brother named Rocky. Rocky thinks he has superpowers, but he doesn’t.
Boy mentions that his Nan is away at a funeral, leaving him in charge of the household. He attends Raukokore School, where he enjoys subjects like art, social studies, and learning about Michael Jackson. His friends include Dallas, Dynasty, and their sister Falcon Crest. Dynasty, unlike others, has a job gardening for her dad after school.
Boy shares details about his family. His aunt, Gracey, has multiple jobs, including being a tennis coach, mail carrier, bus driver, and shopkeeper. Boy reveals his real name is Alamein, after his father, who is named after a World War II battle site. His father is absent, described as a man with many talents and accomplishments, including being a master carver, treasure diver, rugby captain, and fighter. Boy eagerly awaits his father’s return, promising a trip to see Michael Jackson live.
After he finishes, the teacher thanks him and calls another boy named Tane to introduce himself. When Boy takes his seat, another student named Kingi whispers to him, accusing him of lying. Kingi says Boy’s father isn’t overseas but in prison for robbery. Boy retaliates, saying Kingi doesn’t know anything.
But Kingi insists, telling Boy that his father is in the same block as his own father. Hearing this, Boy claims that his father has escaped and is no longer in prison. He explains that his father dug a hole underneath the prison using a spoon and escaped. When Kingi asks about the guards, Boy adds that his father fought them off with the spoon. Kingi doesn’t believe him, but Boy shifts his attention to his crush in the class.
Later, everyone gathers on the playground. Boy remains fixated on his crush, Chardonnay. His friend Dallas tells him to go talk to her, but Boy is too scared. To encourage him, Dallas starts to mock him, saying Tane would have done it. Amidst this, Chardonnay walks toward them, and Boy’s friends urge him to make a move. As she passes by, Boy calls out to her and asks if she wants to see a Michael Jackson dance. Chardonnay shrugs but waits for him to perform. Boy then starts dancing and attempts a lousy moonwalk. Unimpressed, she walks away.
In class, the teacher shows them a picture of a sheep and asks what kind of disease the sheep has. Kingi raises his hand and says AIDS, claiming the sheep looks like Murray, who has AIDS. The teacher brushes him off, saying kids can’t get AIDS. Kingi then turns his attention to Boy to tease him. To retaliate, Boy says the sheep looks like Kingi’s underwear when he soiled his pants on sports day. They start arguing, and the teacher shouts at both of them, threatening to send them to the principal’s office if they don’t stop.
The teacher continues the lesson and mentions the plague, asking if the students know about it. Kingi whispers to Boy, claiming that Boy’s mom has it. This angers Boy, causing him to flip his desk and physically confront Kingi. As a result, the teacher takes Boy to the principal’s office.
After school, Boy is given a punishment and cleans the school hallway. While he’s working, the teacher, Mr. Langston, checks in on him and asks if he wants to talk about the incident. Boy explains that Kingi insulted his mom. Mr. Langston advises Boy not to let words affect him, sharing that he is often called names too but doesn’t retaliate because the comments usually come from kids.
He tries to encourage Boy, complimenting a speech he gave earlier and suggesting he has potential as an orator. Boy asks what “potential” means, but Mr. Langston dodges the question, saying it’s past his working hours. He wishes Boy a good holiday, ending their conversation.
When Boy gets out of school, Kingi’s brother confronts him, warning him not to touch his brother ever again. Boy angrily walks away, kicking stones on the road. Meanwhile, Rocky is in the cemetery, drawing and talking to his mother. Boy arrives and calls for him, saying they need to go home. Rocky tells him he is drawing, but Boy scolds him for making him come all the way there and orders him to get up. Rocky mutters that he will finish his drawing later and gets up. They walk home over a bridge, with Boy constantly warning Rocky to stay away from the edge.
Once home, Boy prays for everyone and sits to eat dinner with his siblings. After dinner, he goes to an old car and sits, talking to Leaf.
Boy tells Leaf about what happened at school earlier. He says he doesn’t like fights and didn’t get involved because he is one of the good boys. He also fills Leaf with lies about Chardonnay, claiming she invited him to McDonald’s and they had a meal together. As he is talking, he hears dogs barking in the distance. Shortly after, a car approaches the house. Rocky is sitting on the doorstep, and Boy walks toward the car.
Inside the car are three men. One of them lights a cigarette and asks who he is. Boy tells him he is Boy, and when the man asks for clarification, Boy says he is Alamein. Hearing this, the man tells Boy that he is his father. Boy gets excited, shakes his hand, and welcomes him back. Boy’s father, who is also Alamein, asks where Boy’s Nan is, and Boy tells him she isn’t home right now. She’s at a tangi in Wellington for a funeral and won’t be back until sometime next week.
Boy then calls for Rocky to meet Alamein. Rocky stays silent, and Boy scolds him. Rocky awkwardly greets Alamein. Boy then introduces Kelly, and Alamein tells her he is her uncle. Hearing this, Kelly mutters something under her breath and goes back inside the house. Alamein introduces the two men in the car, Juju and Chuppa, saying they are basically Boy’s uncles.
As they all stand there awkwardly, Boy offers them a cup of tea, and the men agree. However, they end up drinking the tea in the car while Boy, Rocky, and Kelly watch them from outside. Finally, Boy asks if they want to come in, and they all head inside. Inside, the men sit facing the kids. To break the silence, Alamein asks if they have seen ET, but none of the kids have.
Chuppa starts to compliment the house, saying that old houses like this are made of native timber—expensive stuff. He notices the door handles are copper and tells the group that if he were a thief, the door handles would be the first thing he’d steal. He adds that he’d melt them down in a fire and sell the copper to a dealer.
The group listens to him in silence until Alamein finally exclaims that it’s time for presents. Chuppa and Juju head out to get the presents, but Alamein, noticing the kids’ staring at him, decides to follow them to fetch the gifts.
The three men bring presents for the kids: milk, a microwave, and roller shoes. The children excitedly open them, filled with joy. Later that night, Alamein entertains the kids with a sparkler. When it runs out, he lights a cigarette and sits with Boy on the bed. He tells Boy that this used to be his room, but Boy can keep it while he’ll sleep in the garage. Alamein notices a Michael Jackson poster and jokingly promises to give Boy a haircut like that. He shares his own love for “Thriller” before wishing them good night and leaving the room.
After Alamein leaves, Rocky asks how long their father will stay. Boy doesn’t know but says they will leave with him when he does. Rocky is confused and questions why, and Boy simply replies that it’s how family works. Rocky is still skeptical, especially about whether years of prison have changed their father, but Boy remains confident that Alamein is the same.
Boy then reflects on their mother, describing her as beautiful and a talented singer. He fondly remembers the laughter she shared with their dad. Boy tells the story of how their parents met at the beach, where their dad saved their mom from drowning. Afterward, he carved a sculpture of her, and they eventually had children. Boy also shares that their dad has many talents, including dancing like Michael Jackson. He recounts a heroic tale from their father’s time as a soldier. When pinned down by enemy soldiers, their dad leapt from his foxhole and performed a haka, scaring the soldiers into retreat. When Rocky asks if their father was really a soldier, Boy proudly affirms that their dad is a war hero.
While playing outside, Rocky and Boy notice a man, and Boy throws a stone at him, telling him to go away. When they return to the house, they find the three men cleaning the garage. Boy sits down to talk to Alamein. He notices a patch on Alamein’s jacket and asks what it is. Alamein proudly tells him it’s his gang, and he is the leader.
Alamein tries to start a conversation with Rocky, but Rocky stays silent. When he asks Boy what’s wrong with Rocky, Boy just shrugs. Alamein then asks Boy if he wants a ride in his car, and Boy excitedly agrees. They get in the car together and drive to a spot where Boy’s friends are hanging out.
Alamein gets out of the car, greets the kids, and tells Boy he has something to do, so Boy should stay and hang out with his friends. He then attempts to climb back into the car through the window, but it’s too tight, and he struggles as everyone watches. Finally, he manages to get in and drives away.
After Alamein leaves, Gracie asks Boy if Alamein went to see his mother, but he didn’t. When she asks how long Alamein is staying, Boy doesn’t know. Boy then asks Gracie if he can have an ice cream, but she says no. Boy and his friends head to a field to gather fruit.
Meanwhile, Rocky sits by the river and sees the man Boy had thrown a rock at earlier. Rocky tries to start a conversation with him. He learns that the man lives with his mother and doesn’t have siblings or friends. Rocky shares about his own family, telling the man that his mother died giving birth to him.
At the same time, Alamein, Juju, and Chuppa are trying to locate money Alamein buried before he was arrested. However, Alamein doesn’t remember the exact spot because he buried it hastily while being chased by the cops. Chuppa suggests they get a tracker and dig up the entire place. As they discuss, Boy shows up and asks what they’re looking for. They tell him they’re searching for treasure, and he excitedly joins the hunt.
As he digs, Boy asks Alamein what “potential” means. Before he can answer, Boy asks what he will do with the money. Alamein asks for Boy’s suggestion, and Boy suggests he buy a big house with it. Alamein agrees and adds that he could also buy a dolphin for himself, Boy, and Rocky. Boy then gives him a herb he found earlier, and Alamein takes it, telling him to bring more if he finds any. As they talk, Alamein gets called because Nan is on the phone.
He runs home to talk to his mother. He tells her he brought her an oven that rich people have. He then asks if he can borrow a little money, but she refuses. He complains that even the kids have more money than him, but Nan still refuses. Alamein promises to spend more time with the boys and hangs up.
After this, Alamein tries to bond with the boys, mainly with Boy. He gives him a haircut, but it turns out really bad. He also threatens Kingi and his brother as repayment for Kingi’s brother threatening Boy.
Later, Alamein and Boy get in the car to go to the beach. While driving, they see Rocky by the road. Alamein asks what he is doing, but Rocky refuses to answer. Alamein asks Boy if Rocky can’t talk, but when Boy asks Rocky what he is doing, Rocky replies that he is playing. They invite him to get in the car to go to the beach, and he joins them.
At the beach, they lie on their stomachs in the sand and start talking. Alamein reflects on how beautiful the beach is. Boy asks if this was where he met their mom, but Alamein says he met her at school and fell for her immediately. He then asks Boy if he has a girlfriend. Boy mentions there is a girl who loves him, but he doesn’t want to get involved right now. Alamein tells him it’s okay to date but warns him not to get her pregnant.
Boy asks if he can join Crazy Horses one day, but Alamein refuses, saying it’s an adult game. Alamein then runs to the shore, and Boy follows him to play.
While Alamein is shooting at the lake with a wooden gun he made, Boy sits with Rocky. Boy tells Rocky that there’s a lot of money, and when they find it, they’ll buy a big house and move to the city. Rocky doesn’t want to move to the city, but Boy tries to convince him by mentioning swimming pools. This doesn’t faze Rocky, who says he can swim in the sea instead.
Back at home, Alamein plans to have a party. Kelly is unhappy about it and walks away from the garage. Alamein sits with Boy and gives him beer to try. He then tells Boy to give him any herbs he finds. Alamein also asks Boy not to call him “dad.” When Boy asks if he should call him Alamein, Alamein suggests he call him “Shogun,” like a samurai. Boy asks what Alamein will call him, and Alamein suggests “Little Shogun.” As people start arriving at the party, Alamein changes seats. Kingi and his brother, Holden also show up.
The party continues late into the night. Boy stays in the garage, wanting to spend more time with the adults. As he stands there with a beer in his hands, Kelly approaches and asks him for dinner. He tells her he’s not her mother and to cook for herself. Kelly walks out of the garage, and Alamein calls Boy to join them. Drunk, Alamein playfully declares Boy as his son and trusted man. Juju and Chuppa exchange awkward glances at his unusual behavior. Alamein then goes to the front and starts dancing, performing Michael Jackson moves. Boy watches him happily.
The next morning, Boy calls Chardonnay and asks if she’d like to come by. She comes over, and Boy tries his best to impress her but fails. As they sit in the old car, he attempts to flirt, which angers her. She storms out of the car after insulting him. Wanting to make his father proud, Boy uses a vacuum cleaner to give himself a hickey and shows it to Alamein, who just nods in approval.
After this, Boy starts trying hard to impress his father and connect with him. He goes to the field to collect herbs that Alamein asked for, digs the ground in search of the buried money, and stops paying attention to his siblings and cousins. For breakfast, he only gives them milk and bread. Boy focuses all his energy on spending time with Alamein as much as he can.
One day, Boy sees Juju getting a tattoo. When the men notice Boy approaching, Alamein tells him it’s his turn next. Initially, Boy gets scared, thinking it’s done with a needle like Juju’s, but it’s just with a pen.
Later that night, Boy goes out with Alamein, but Alamein leaves him in the car to go drink. While Boy is sitting alone in the car, Dynasty shows up. She notices his hair and asks what’s wrong with it. Boy tells her it’s his new hairstyle. She then smells the herbs in the car and warns him not to smoke them or he’ll end up like the other dopeheads.
When she asks why he hasn’t been around, Boy explains that he’s been hanging out with his dad and asks who she is with. Dynasty tells him she’s there with her mother, who is currently playing pokies. When Boy asks if her mother has won anything, Dynasty says her mother believes it’s better to risk money for a big reward than to stay a little poor without trying.
When Dynasty begins to share what she’s been doing with their other friends, Boy dismisses it, saying he doesn’t have time for kids’ stuff. He’s working hard to get out of this place. When she asks when they’re leaving, he admits he doesn’t know. Dynasty sees her mother coming out and says goodbye to Boy before leaving.
Meanwhile, Rocky continues hanging out with the man by the river. He tries to use his “powers” to make the man fall asleep, but the man tells him maybe his powers don’t work on everyone.
Back home, Alamein begs Nan over the phone to lend him money, but she refuses. This makes him furious, and he storms out of the house and drives off.
Seeing this, Boy decides to find the money himself and begins digging all over the property. Rocky approaches and asks if he can help dig. Boy refuses, explaining that it’s a man’s job and Rocky isn’t a man yet. Upset, Rocky walks away angrily.
Boy keeps digging, imagining a life with the money. Finally, his shovel hits something hard. He gets on his knees, takes a closer look, and finds the money. Excitedly, he takes it out, counts it, and happily hides it in the old car. Wearing Alamein’s helmet and jacket, Boy sits in the garage, dreaming about what he’s going to do.
He then goes to the store where Gracie works. When he walks in, she shows him a “no” sign, assuming he’s there to ask for a free ice block, but he surprises her by buying instead. He picks out lots of items to buy, takes out the money he found earlier, and pays for everything. Outside, he enjoys his ice block with his friends, who thank him for the treat. Boy tells them to call him “Little Shogun” instead of Boy.
They complement his look, saying he looks like Michael Jackson in the jacket, which makes him happy. His friends mention that Holden and Chardonnay are going out together. Boy pretends not to care, saying he’s moving soon, so it doesn’t matter to him.
As they talk, Holden shows up and asks how Boy got the jacket. Boy tells him that Shogun said he’d have to finish drinking a gumboot full of beer to get one. Boy adds that his father doesn’t want Holden in the gang because he’s angry at him. Holden, confused, insists he hasn’t done anything wrong. Boy warns him not to show up at the clubhouse again and then lies, claiming he hooked up with Chardonnay. Holden refuses to believe him.
Suddenly, Alamein shows up, and Holden runs away. Boy runs to Alamein to tell him about his discovery, but Alamein angrily rips the jacket off him, yelling at him for taking it. He then demands to know where Boy got the money for the ice blocks and starts hitting him. Gracie shows up and intervenes, arguing with Alamein. Furious, Alamein storms into his car and drives off. Boy, scared and shaking, stands on the street half-naked as his friends try to comfort him.
Upset, Boy walks away. In the house, Rocky is looking at old pictures of their mother and father. When Boy comes in, they take a bath together. After this, Boy shifts his focus to his siblings and cousins, giving them proper food and taking care of them.
At night, Alamein comes to Boy’s window and apologizes for what happened. He tells Boy he’s under a lot of pressure, with people trying to bring him down—even the government is after him. He admits he gets angry sometimes and loses control, but insists he’s not always like that. He says he’s a good guy—like the Incredible Hulk. He asks Boy if he can handle having the Incredible Hulk as a dad, and Boy nods in agreement.
The next day, Alamein visits his wife’s grave. Rocky watches him from a distance as he paces near the grave. Meanwhile, Boy goes to retrieve the money, only to find out that Leaf has eaten all of it. Shocked, he decides he’ll get money another way. He takes all the door handles from the house and puts them in the oven to melt them down and sell the metal, like Juju suggested. As he’s doing this, Kelly arrives and asks what happened to the door handles. Suddenly, the oven explodes, and smoke fills the air. When Juju comes to check, Boy lies and says it’s bacon.
Alamein continues digging, still hoping to find his money. Rocky digs with him. Eventually, Boy approaches and joins them. Boy hesitantly asks what they’ll do if the money is gone or if someone took it. Alamein angrily says he’ll kill whoever took it, and Boy decides to stay quiet. He then comforts his dad, saying they’ll find the money.
Feeling guilty about Leaf eating the money, Boy tells Alamein about the secret marijuana plants Dynasty grows for her father. Together, they go to harvest the plants. As they take what they’ve gathered, Dynasty watches them, clearly upset.
Later that night, Alamein leaves the boys in the car to go drinking with others. In the car, Boy and Rocky argue about who is closer to their father. Boy insists he’s closer to Alamein than Rocky is and moves to the front seat. There, he picks up a joint his father left behind and takes a small puff. Across the street, he sees Dynasty, but she turns away without saying hello.
While the men are dancing and drinking, Dynasty’s father shows up, and a fight breaks out. Alamein and his friends are beaten. During the drive home, Juju is furious about the fight. Alamein tries to calm him, saying they’ll get more men and take their revenge. He reminds Juju that they’re a gang, but Juju angrily retorts that they aren’t a real gang and that Crazy Horses isn’t even legitimate. Alamein, offended, tells Juju he’s out of the group.
As they argue, Alamein turns to Juju, not paying attention to the road, and drives recklessly. Suddenly, they hit something. They brush it off as a dog and continue driving, but Boy insists they stop to check. Alamein follows him, saying it’s just a dog and urging him to get back in the car. Alamein tries to distract Boy, saying they need to start packing because they’re heading to the city tomorrow to meet Michael Jackson. Reluctantly, Boy agrees and gets back in the car, accepting it was just a dog.
Later, Rocky and Boy return to the area and find Leaf lying wounded on the ground. It was Leaf that Alamein hit earlier. Boy whispers to Leaf, promising that everything will be okay, but the next morning, Leaf dies. Heartbroken, Rocky and Boy drag Leaf’s body and bury him in their yard. After this, Boy becomes devastated and goes to the cemetery, where he starts smoking.
Later that day, Alamein catches Juju and Chuppa trying to steal the marijuana stash they harvested. He tries to stop them and hits Chuppa, but Chuppa recovers and hits him from behind. The two then leave, taking the car with them. This enrages Alamein, as the last thing he had is now gone. Furious, he starts digging the ground again in search of his money but finds nothing.
Meanwhile, Boy walks on the bridge, lost in thought. When he sees cyclists coming his way, he sits at the edge of the bridge to let them pass. While sitting, he looks up at the sky and has a vision of his mother and his younger self sitting by a tree. Distracted by the vision, he leans back and falls into the water.
When he wakes up, he finds himself on the shore, rescued by the man he once called weird. As Boy looks at him, Kelly calls out from the other side of the bridge, telling him he must come home immediately.
Alamein sits alone in the dark garage, drinking heavily and devastated by his losses. Suddenly, he sees a sparkler in the distance and notices Rocky approaching on his rollerblades. When Rocky reaches him, he puts a hand on Alamein’s forehead and softly apologizes for what he did to their mother.
As they stand close, Boy shows up and pushes Alamein, warning him not to touch Rocky. He then gives Alamein the money that Leaf ate, telling him this is his “treasure.” Before Alamein can process this, Boy starts hitting him, venting his frustration. He accuses Alamein of never being there—not when they were growing up, and not when their mom died. Boy tells him he once thought they were alike, but they’re not. He says Alamein has no potential. As Boy leaves with Rocky, Alamein watches them sadly.
The next morning, the kids try to fix the mess in the house because Nan is coming back that day. While cleaning, Boy finds Alamein’s Crazy Horses patch, which has been ripped off and discarded. He also finds the carving that Alamein started long ago and finishes it by carving an eye, completing the piece. Nan arrives, and everyone rushes out to greet her.
Later, Boy and Rocky go to see their friends. After greeting the boys, Boy approaches Dynasty and gives her a sparkler as a peace offering. Afterward, Boy and Rocky go to their mother’s cemetery and find Alamein sitting there. They sit in front of him, and the three smile at each other.
The story teaches the importance of facing reality, taking responsibility, and valuing family over false ideals. It highlights how healing and growth come from forgiveness and connection.