The Boy from Mercury
6.5
Set in 1960s Dublin, a fatherless eight-year-old boy who feels alienated by his family, escapes his reality by deciding he's been sent from Mercury to study life on Earth. His fantasies mirror the life of his hero, Flash Gordon, from the serial he watches each week at the local cinema. His escapades result in dilemmas that drive his mother to such distraction that she turns to the boy's strange uncle for help.
Where to watch
Not streaming anywhere
Not on any streaming service in United States, and not available to rent.
Your rating
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Cast
36 people
Rita Tushingham
May Cronin
Known for
Last Night in Soho
The Pale Horse
Tom Courtenay
Uncle Tony Cronin
Known for
45 Years
The Aeronauts
John Victor-Smith
Martin Duffy
Noëlette Buckley
Hugh O'Conor
Paul
Known for
Chocolat
Mary Shelley
Claire Duignan
Lorna Marie Mugan
James Hickey
Harry Cronin
Also in
The Matchmaker
Marina Hughes
Stephen McKeon
Ian McElhinney
Brother Dowdall
Known for
Game of Thrones
Krypton
Martin Duffy Director · Stephen McKeon Composer Seamus Deasy Cinematographer
First release March 14, 1996 · Produced in Ireland, France, United Kingdom · Production Mercurian, Blue Rose
Production
Le Studio Canal+
Production
Mercurian
Production
Blue Rose
Production
Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland
Production
RTÉ
Production
Jo Manuel Productions
Production
StudioCanal
Production
Blue Dahlia Productions
Production
Ireland · France · United Kingdom
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English
Release dates
Ireland · March 14, 1996
Premiere · Dublin Film Festival
France · December 6, 1996
Theatrical
No release date listed for United States.
Hungary
April 7, 2001 · Limited theatrical · Irish Film Week
Ireland
December 6, 1996 · Theatrical
August 17, 2025 · Limited theatrical · Irish Film Institute Family Festival
Italy
July 27, 1996 · Premiere · Giffoni Film Festival
United Kingdom
March 28, 1997 · Theatrical
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Some details come from TheTVDB.