The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind has built a devoted audience in Australia on Netflix, and in the US on Netflix among viewers who want their drama to earn its emotional beats. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. An 8/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Watch it for Maxwell Simba — one of the stronger performances out there right now. Put it on tonight on Netflix and see for yourself.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind earns its spot. The writing in The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind treats its characters as people first, plot devices second. Against all the odds, a thirteen year old boy in Malawi invents an unconventional way to save his family and village from famine. Maxwell Simba and Chiwetel Ejiofor lead a cast that treats the material with real seriousness. It was released in 2019. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind resists tidy resolutions in a way that respects how messy real consequences actually are. The hit rate here is high enough that skipping ahead never feels like an option.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is what you recommend to people who say they do not really watch much. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Maxwell Simba carries the material with a performance that rewards close attention. Worth starting sooner rather than later.