I was worried going in it’d this this would be a garish and unrealistic film about a super-quirky family with nothing engaging or relatable about them. But, I’m pleased to report that this is one of the finest films I’ve seen a long time. Captain Fantastic has heart, drama, and humour in abundance. Writer-director Matt Ross, with only his second feature, has hit on something truly excellent here. The film wouldn’t work if the junior actors weren’t up to snuff, but thankfully Captain Fantastic serves up one of the best young ensembles committed to celluloid in recent times. At the older end of the spectrum, Pride and Sunshine On Leith alum George MacKay offers big laughs as a young man who first discovers the opposite sex on the central road-trip of the film. Meanwhile, the youngest and most naïve member of the clan is played with wit and charm by American Horror Story’s Shree Crooks. And that’s just to name two of the six impressive youngsters in the film. Over the course of the movie, it becomes apparent that not everyone in Ben’s woodland community is fully invested in the experience. It’s heart-warming and heart-breaking in equal measure watching Frank Langella’s grandfather character attemp to tear the family apart. Some of the kids want to stick with how things are, while others find the allure of ordinary food, videogames and normality too powerful to resist. This is a hugely touching exploration of what makes a family tick. Multi-layered characters are brought to life through great performances and dialogue at every opportunity, resulting in a nuanced explanation of the film’s themes that will leave you with something to chew on when the credits roll.  Matt Ross really establishes himself as a major new talent. His script explores a huge topic while also finding room for humour and warmth, while his direction comes with some neat visual flourishes too. A recurring dream that Ben has makes really good use of lighting, for example.