I know that The Peanut Butter Falcon is a movie that a lot of people are going to overlook purely based on its title alone. After all, what does that even mean? It’s a dumb title if you have no familiarity with what the movie is about, but it works really well for what the movie is when you do know what it’s about. For anyone that’s curious, my quick elevator pitch is that The Peanut Butter Falcon is a movie about taking care of someone with Down syndrome. Sound at all interesting? Then either continue reading this to see if the movie is for you, or just stop reading and go watch the movie.

So, let me expand on that elevator pitch a bit, because it might have conjured up an image that isn’t entirely accurate. The Peanut Butter Falcon centers on two main characters: Tyler and Zak. Tyler is a tough but down-on-his-luck fisherman who has been struggling to make a living. He gets into a conflict with some local fishermen, to the point where he soon finds himself on the run and being hunted by them. Zak, on the other hand, is a young man with Down syndrome who is living in a retirement home because the state doesn’t have anywhere else to put him. Zak rightly feels like he doesn’t belong there, and also has dreams of being a wrestler. So, he winds up escaping from the retirement home and going out into the world in search of a wrestling school, while being pursued by the people in the home. He soon encounters Tyler, and the two begin to form a really unlikely bond while both being chased by their pursuers. Tyler is hard on Zak, but wants to help him find the wrestling school that he’s looking for.

The best thing about the movie is easily the bond between the two main characters. While everyone else pities Zak and treats him like he can’t do anything, Tyler treats him no differently than he would anyone else. This initially means being hard on him, but over time it gives Zak someone who will actually try to help him be what he wants to be, rather than only telling him all of the things that he can’t do.

It’s for this reason that I really like the overall message of The Peanut Butter Falcon. I think that a lot of caretakers of people with Down syndrome wind up babysitting them too much, instead of helping them gain their own independence. The Peanut Butter Falcon never forgets to acknowledge that people with Down syndrome do of course still have limitations, but that limitations don’t mean that they aren’t capable of doing anything, and so treating them as if they’re unable to do anything is ultimately harmful for them. We get to witness Tyler truly bringing out the best parts of Zak, and vice versa in the process. This is a touching relationship that spreads a really positive message.

Other than that, I find the less that’s said about The Peanut Butter Falcon, the better. I think this is an amazing movie, but like I said earlier I’m sure most people won’t even give it a chance when they hear the title. So, hopefully I’ve said enough to convince people why it’s a movie that’s worth watching. I don’t want to give anything else away, though, so just take it from me that this is absolutely worth the watch. The acting, directing, story, and character relationships are all top-notch. If you’re looking for a touching movie about Down syndrome, give it a shot.

4.5/5