By Lana Hanania – Staff Reporter 

Matt Ross produced the movie “Captain Fantastic” in 2016. Ross acknowledged that his personal experiences growing up with a hippie mother impacted him in certain ways, but that the film’s major inspiration came from his own desires as a father, rather than from a real person. “Captain Fantastic” is about a family who lives deep in the forest, isolated from society. The mom and dad, Ben and Leslie, dedicate their life training their six kids. They train them to be physically fit, athletic, to think critically, and to guide them in the wild without technology. One day the mom suddenly commits suicide, making Ben and his six kids go outside to the real world for the first time. Although Ben has been in the real world before, he still struggles to adapt, as do his kids. 

Overall “Captain Fantastic” is a well-filmed movie. The plot of the movie is very different and intriguing compared to most movies. Viewers will find it very interesting how the family members are able to adapt to their environment and are able to survive in the condition they are in. They are able to see how intelligent the six kids are and their day by day routine. 

In one scene in “Captain Fantastic,” a different family asks their children what the Bill of Rights was. They were able to come up with very little. Ben then asked his five-year-old daughter what the Bill of Rights was and she was able to say a brief summary in her own words. This made viewers think how intelligent they truly were. One quote from the movie that struck out was when Ben said, “We’ve created a paradise.” Viewers were able to see how fantastic their life was and how much they all learned together even when they are isolated from society. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars