Bonus Track is a 2023 British coming-of-age romantic comedy film directed by Julia Jackman, in her feature directorial debut. It is based on an original story by Josh O'Connor, who also appears in the film, and Michael Gilbert, who wrote the screenplay.
The film had its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on 5 October 2023. It was released in the United Kingdom on Sky Cinema on 1 June 2024.
Contents
Premise
In 2006, George Bobbin, a 16-year-old who lives in a small English town and dreams of becoming a pop star, meets Max, the son of a famous musical duo.
Cast
Joe Anders as George Bobbin
Samuel Small as Max
Jack Davenport as Jeffrey, George's father
Alison Sudol as Julia, George's mother
Susan Wokoma
Ray Panthaki as Mr Zeppelin
Josh O'Connor
Nina Wadia
Ellie Kendrick
Josh Cowdery
Production
Filming was underway in York on 17 August 2022, when the film was announced. The school featured is All Saints Catholic School, in York.
Release
Bonus Track was selected to screen for potential buyers in the Industry Selects section of the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2023. It had its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on 5 October 2023.
Sky pre-bought the United Kingdom and Germany distribution rights. The film was released in the UK on Sky Cinema on 1 June 2024. In July 2024, Sunrise Films acquired US distribution rights to the film. It was released in select cinemas in the United States on 11 October 2024.
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 86% of 14 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.2/10.
Nikki Baughan of Screen Daily found the film laden with teenage romantic comedy clichés, and the 2006 setting "not entirely realistic", but wrote that "two charming lead performances, and a largely positive depiction of adolescent homosexuality ... should chime with its intended teen audience". Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian found the film "sweet-natured and engagingly laid-back, if a bit televisual and reliant on that time-honoured staple that dates from Richard Curtis's Love Actually", giving it three out of five stars.