Film Review: THE UNBREAKABLE BOY (2025): Zachary Levi is Solid in Jon Gunn’s Moving but All Too Familiar Dramedy
The Unbreakable Boy Review
The Unbreakable Boy (2025) Film Review, a movie directed by Jon Gunn, written by Scott LeRette, Susy Flory and Jon Gunn and starring Zachary Levi, Meghann Fahy, Jacob Laval, Drew Powell, Gavin Warren, Patricia Heaton, Todd Terry, Liza Marie Gonzalez, Arianne Martin, Kurt Yue, Eric Starkey, Kellen Martelli, Bruce Davis, Peter Facinelli, Pilot Bunch, Kelsey Griswold and Tyrone Betters.
Jon Gunn’s touching film, The Unbreakable Boy, is based on an inspirational true story about overcoming alcohol addiction and adapting to the life we’ve been given and embracing it for all its joys and sorrows. It stars Zachary Levi in a terrific performance as Scott, a close to middle-aged guy who has an imaginary friend named Joe (Drew Powell) but still has all the right things to say when he meets a pleasant and beautiful woman named Teresa (the superb Meghann Fahy). While Scott and Teresa are both flawed characters, Scott has a bit more on his plate as he deals with alcohol abuse throughout the movie. Scott’s drinking significantly threatens his marriage and his family. The Unbreakable Boy has a big heart and a kind spirit and a lot of it has been done before despite the stellar quality of some of the performances found within the movie.
When Teresa ends up pregnant, Scott realizes he may not fulfill his dream to go back to school but he does love Teresa so the couple end up together and have a child named Austin (played at 13 years old by Jacob Laval). They also have another child, Austin’s brother, Logan (Gavin Warren). Austin is different from the other kids. For one, he has autism and for another, he has other problems, some of which manifest themselves through his offbeat behavior.
Here’s an issue I had with the movie: Austin states that he likes Fight Club when citing that his dad has his imaginary friend (Joe is said to be Scott’s “Tyler Durden”) but the character of Austin is presented as a kind boy who speaks his mind and almost always sees the beauty of life. Why would Austin like Fight Club then? Maybe he also sees beauty in men beating each other up although he certainly doesn’t enjoy it when Logan is bullied. Maybe I’m thinking too much about it but it does feel like enjoying Fight Club doesn’t help strengthen Austin’s characterization much.
There is a well-developed relationship between Scott and Teresa which takes up a large portion of the film. It’s the most touching part of the movie. Levi and Fahy play off each other with fine timing and precision and bring to life a relationship based on mutual understanding and both characters have moments that challenge them immensely. Both characters are faced with the difficulties that their kids come into contact with at school. Austin dresses as the school mascot and seems to get along with many kids his own age but he’s undeniably different which makes his parents address the issue of potentially putting him in another school. Meanwhile, Logan ends up turning the tables on his bully by buying a skateboard for him when the bully tries to steal his.
Patricia Heaton and Todd Terry ably play Scott’s parents. Heaton, as the mom, has fun as she has Scott break a delicate item at one juncture to prove an important point. Heaton chews into her brief screen time and comes up with a memorable turn in the movie. Terry holds his own but has a less showy role than Heaton does overall.
There are a lot of issues tackled in The Unbreakable Boy and I can’t help but feel the filmmakers have bitten off slightly more than they can chew. Too many cute scenes undermine the more dramatic ones which lessens the overall emotional impact of the film at times. Still, there’s no denying the acting is very good. Child actors, Laval and Warren, do make their parts feel authentic even if the writing sometimes oversimplifies their characters’ dilemmas.
That being said, Zachary Levi has never been this strong on-screen before. He commands the audience’s attention with a deep characterization. Scott appears simple on the surface which further helps us see that our friends and neighbors are fighting battles which nobody else can understand regardless of how normal they appear on the outside. Fahy is a perfect match for him and her character is just as important to the success of the film as Levi’s is.
The Unbreakable Boy teaches us a lot of important life lessons. We’ve seen and heard many of them before but by helping the viewer see the abilities Austin develops despite his visible disabilities, the result is somewhat inspiring. I could have done without the imaginary friend. Drew Powell has a rather substantial role even if it is still technically a supporting performance. In the end, I can see the undeniable flaws in The Unbreakable Boy but am willing to overlook them to embrace the ideas and musings that take center stage in the picture which can entertain and inspire, simultaneously.
Rating: 7/10
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