The Black Balloon_
"Sometimes it's hard to be the odd one in."
Thomas is turning 16. His dad's in the army and they've just moved to a town in New South Wales; his mom is pregnant; his older brother, Charlie, who's autistic, has his own adolescent sexual issues. Thomas finds Charlie an embarrassment in public, so when Thomas is attracted to Jackie, a girl in his swim class, Charlie presents any number of obstacles when she drops by their house, when the three of them go for a walk, and during a family birthday dinner. Can Thomas find a way to enter the world of teen romance and still be his brother's keeper, or is Charlie's disability going to prove more than Thomas can handle?
Starring
Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford, Toni Collette
Box Office
$5.0M
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
Apple TV
4 countries
G
Google Play
3 countries
Prime Video
3 countries
YouTube
2 countries
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Box office
The Black Balloon earned $5.0M against a $5.0M budget.
Year context
The Black Balloon was released 18 years ago in 2008.
The Black Balloon is a Drama film with a runtime of 1h 37m.
CAST (18)
Rhys Wakefield
Thomas Mollison
Luke Ford
Charlie Mollison
Toni Collette
Maggie Mollison
Erik Thomson
Simon Mollison
Gemma Ward
Jackie Masters
SW
Sarah Woods
Woman Next Door
Sam Fraser
Kid Next Door
ZB
Zelie Bullen
Mother in Van
Anthony Phelan
Mr. Masters
DP
Deborah Piper
Janet-Social Worker
Henry Nixon
Trevor-Social Worker
Rebecca Massey
Miss Babb
RC
Ryan Clark
Dean
Aaron Glenane
Bucko
LK
Lisa Kowalski
Sally
Nathin Art Butler
Chris
Firass Dirani
Russell
Kate Box
Elizibeth
BOX OFFICE
$5.0M
Budget
$5.0M
Revenue
+0%
ROI
BREAK EVEN
Verdict
DETAILS
Release
Status
Released
Runtime
97 min (1h 37m)
Country
Rating
6.4/10 (94 votes)
Budget
$5,000,000
Box Office
$5,000,000
Profit
+$0
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is The Black Balloon about?
Thomas is turning 16. His dad's in the army and they've just moved to a town in New South Wales; his mom is pregnant; his older brother, Charlie, who's autistic, has his own adolescent sexual issues. Thomas finds Charlie an embarrassment in public, so when Thomas is attracted to Jackie, a girl in his swim class, Charlie presents any number of obstacles when she drops by their house, when the three of them go for a walk, and during a family birthday dinner. Can Thomas find a way to enter the world of teen romance and still be his brother's keeper, or is Charlie's disability going to prove more than Thomas can handle?
How long is The Black Balloon?
The Black Balloon has a runtime of 97 minutes (1h 37m).
Who stars in The Black Balloon?
The cast of The Black Balloon includes Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford, Toni Collette, Erik Thomson, Gemma Ward.
How much did The Black Balloon make at the box office?
The Black Balloon earned $5,000,000 worldwide at the box office. The production budget was $5,000,000.
What is the rating of The Black Balloon?
The Black Balloon has a rating of 6.4 out of 10 based on 94 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (1)
Drama
