The Boy in the Woods

The Boy in the Woods
Film poster
Directed byRebecca Snow
Written byRebecca Snow
Based onThe Boy in the Woods by Maxwell Smart
Produced byJonathan Bronfman
Robert Budreau
StarringJett Klyne
Richard Armitage
Christopher Heyerdahl
CinematographyAdam Madrzyk
Edited byRobert Swartz
Music byJulia Kent
Production
companies
Lumanity Productions
JoBro Productions
Undisputed Pictures
Distributed byPhoton Films
Release date
  • September 22, 2023 (2023-09-22) (Cinéfest)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

The Boy in the Woods is a Canadian drama film, directed by Rebecca Snow and released in 2023. Based on the memoir of the same name by Maxwell Smart, the film dramatizes Smart's childhood experience of having to fend for himself in the forests of Poland during World War II.[1][2]

The film screened in the Industry Selects program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival,[3] and had its public premiere in a gala screening at the 2023 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival.[4] It went into commercial release in June 2024.[5]

Plot

Cast

  • Jett Klyne as Maxwell Smart
  • Richard Armitage as Jasko
  • Christopher Heyerdahl as Bagan
  • Ari Millen as Aleksey
  • David Kohlsmith as Yanek
  • Masa Lizdek as Kasia
  • Berkley Silverman as Rosa
  • Joshua Peace as Police Sargeant
  • Matt Lishman as Young Partisan
  • Katherine Fogler as Faigie
  • Tara Nicodemo as Aunt Erna
  • Shuna Snow as Regina
  • Richard Patrick Tolton II as Hunter
  • Morgan Bedard as Danylo

Production

The film entered production in fall 2022 in North Bay, Ontario.[6] Snow had previously directed the television documentary special Cheating Hitler: Surviving the Holocaust, in which Smart was a participant.[7]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 5 critics' reviews are positive.[8]

Rating it 3/5 stars on The Guardian, Leslie Felperin highlighted in his review that "true story of Jewish boy in flight from the Nazis and hiding in the forest is told here with a fair amount of sentiment."[9]

Neerja Choudhuri of The Midgard Times wrote "The Boy in the Woods is a masterfully crafted film where exceptional acting and a well-written screenplay come together to tell a gripping and heartfelt story. The performances elevate the narrative, making it a compelling watch that resonates long after the credits roll."[10]

References

  1. ↑ Babiera, Angelica (November 2, 2022). "Lumanity, JoBro drama The Boy in the Woods launches at AFM". Playback. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  2. ↑ Gheciu, Alex Nino (2024-06-20). "'Boy in the Woods' a story of Holocaust survival, says its real-life inspiration". CityNews Kitchener. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  3. ↑ Kay, Jeremy (August 21, 2023). "James Marsh, Rebecca Snow, Neil Burger films among 12 TIFF Industry Selects sales titles". Screen Daily. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  4. ↑ Ulrichsen, Heidi (2023-08-23). "Cinéfest 2023 features strong Canadian content". Sudbury.com. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  5. ↑ Kliot, Talia (June 20, 2024). "Film adaptation of Holocaust survivor Maxwell Smart's memoir The Boy In The Woods will hit theatres this June | CBC Books". CBC Books. Archived from the original on 2025-07-26. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  6. ↑ Ntim, Zac (2022-10-31). "WWII Drama 'The Boy In The Woods' Starring Jett Klyne And Richard Armitage Starts Production In Canada – AFM". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  7. ↑ Fraiman, Michael (2019-11-06). "Filmmakers tackle survivors' childhood mysteries". The Canadian Jewish News. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  8. ↑ "The Boy in the Woods". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
  9. ↑ Felperin, Leslie (2024-05-21). "The Boy in the Woods review – boys' own tale of Holocaust fugitive forced to fend for himself". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  10. ↑ Choudhuri, Neerja. "'The Boy in the Woods' Movie Review - The Story of Survival and Resilience". The Midgard Times. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
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