Boy Swallows Universe ending explained: Who was on the red phone?

Boy Swallows Universe, which premiered on Netflix on January 11, 2024, has become the talk of the town with its engaging storyline and riveting screenplay. The coming-of-age series centers on Eli, a teenager who enters Brisbane’s underworld to rescue his mother after she is arrested for possession of drugs.

The show, based on Trent Dalton’s semi-autobiographical novel of the same name, features intriguing sequences in which a mystery caller contacts Eli and Gus after they find a red phone in an ‘emergency tunnel’. Unlike several other aspects of the story, this track is a work of fiction.

Dalton told Hello Magazine he incorporated it into the narrative as he spent his childhood ‘fantasizing about who’s on the end of the line’. This essentially means these conversations are a manifestation of Eli and Gus’ optimism, which helps them cope with life’s harsh realities. In other words, the mystery caller exists only in their imagination.

Boy Swallows Universe comes from John Collee, best known for his work on the Oscar-nominated films Happy Feet and Tanna. He is also an executive producer on the series with Andrew Mason, Troy Lum, Sophie Gardiner, Toby Bentley, Kerry Kohansky Roberts, Joel Edgerton, Bharat Nalluri, and Trent Dalton.

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Boy Swallows Universe: Who is on the other side of the red phone?

Eli and Gus discover the red phone in their stepfather Lyle’s basement and soon receive a call from an unidentified person. The caller helps Eli understand Lyle's actions better and encourages him to accept him. The teenager feels the stranger’s voice is familiar but isn’t able to identify him.

Lyle then tells him the red phone is out of order. However, Eli follows the caller’s advice and forgives Lyle for being a drug dealer. Additionally, he helps him run his ‘business’. Unfortunately, Eli and Gus soon suffer a setback when the nefarious criminal Ivan murders their stepfather. Moreover, their mother Frances is arrested for possession of drugs. Following this, the boys reunite with their father Robert.

The red phone reappears when Eli breaks into their house to find Lyle’s secret stash. This time the caller tells him to find Ivan and rescue his mother.

Additionally, the red phone is also an integral part of the series’ climax. In a disturbing scene, Gus passes out after being haunted by visions about his younger brother’s impending death. In his unconscious state, he answers the red phone and asks the caller to explain these visions. However, the mysterious person ignores his queries. He eventually wakes up and saves his brother by killing Ivan. The brothers then move on from their bitter past and begin life on a fresh note.

Given the events of Boy Swallows Universe, there are two distinct theories about the imaginary caller’s identity. The fact that he never answers Eli’s questions indicates that he is a manifestation of his subconscious mind. However, there is also the possibility of him being Gus’ ‘future self who is living the same life over and over again’. This stems from Gus' final conversation with him while he is unconscious.

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Is Boy Swallows Universe worth a watch?

The series holds an approval rating of 89 percent on Rotten Tomatoes based on 9 reviews. However, the critics’ consensus isn’t available as there aren’t enough reviews.

A still from Boy Swallows Universe. (Image via Netflix)

Fans can expect it to be updated once more reviews are in. Boy Swallows Universe also has a Metacritic score of 68 based on 4 critics ratings, which indicates a 'generally favorable’ response.

Additionally, the show has an impressive rating of 8.2 on IMDb and this is based on 2, 879 votes.

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All seven episodes of Boy Meets Universe were released on Netflix on January 11, 2024.