The New Boy ending explained: Did Francis lose his powers?

The New Boy is an Australian drama film written and directed by Warwick Thornton. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2023, before releasing across Australia on July 6, 2023.

The film follows an orphaned Aboriginal boy with magical powers who is brought to a monastery orphanage. The lead nun, Sister Eileen, shows great compassion for him, but he struggles to adjust to his new life.

"When an Aboriginal child arrives in the dead of night at a remote monastery run by a renegade nun, the new boy’s presence disturbs a delicately balanced world in this story of spiritual struggle and the cost of survival."

By the end of the film, the boy had lost his magical powers after his baptism by Sister Eileen.

The film stars Aswan Reid, Deborah Mailman, Wayne Blair, Shane McKenzie-Brady, Laiken Beau Woolmington, and Cate Blanchett in prominent roles.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for The New Boy. Reader's discretion is advised.

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What is The New Boy About?

The New Boy began with a young Aboriginal boy strangling a grown man. No explanation was provided for what happened between the two that led to this situation. However, the sticking thing was that the boy could somehow overpower someone twice his size.

The boy was then taken to a monastery orphanage, where Sister Eileen, played by Cate Blanchett, received him with warmth and compassion. The boy struggled to understand and adjust to Christian living and was mostly given the freedom to do what he wanted. It was then revealed that the boy had magical powers and could ignite a flame by rubbing his palm.

As the new boy's magical abilities were revealed, Sister Eileen became concerned about raising a boy to divine status, as it might pose a threat to Christianity and its beliefs. On the other hand, the boy constantly faced the tough choice between his traditional roots and the new ways.

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Sister Eileen kept Dom Peter's death hidden

Dom Peter was the in-charge clerk of the orphanage, who died a year back, but Sister Eileen kept his death a secret. She kept the higher authorities in the dark so they wouldn't send another male authority figure to run things. She knew the higher-ups didn't care who ran the orphanage, as long as they received the harvest money on time.

The film doesn't provide much detail about Dom Peter, but it was hinted that he was abusive towards the children. Sister Eileen often forged Peter's signature on the official documents, despite her fear of damnation. However, her actions did take a toll on her as she would often ask God for forgiveness.

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Francis lost his powers after baptism in The New Boy

The film's most significant part was the Aboriginal boy's baptism by Sister Eileen, as she was unable to keep him in check and considered his baptism a necessity of the hour. Though the boy, who was now called Francis, was yet to familiarize himself with the ways of civilized society, he was washed with the holy water.

However, the process had an unfortunate effect on Francis. He lost all his magical powers. He could create the spark in his palms, even the figurine of Jesus that used to talk to him, stopped moving.

The film's main theme revolved around the clash of indigenous culture with Catholicism during the mid-20th Century. Francis losing his powers signifies that he has now lost a part of himself in the process of assimilating with the new culture. He finally conformed to the monastery life, but at the cost of his heritage and spiritual practices.

The ending also seems like a commentary on the nun's who, despite good intentions, became part of a process that diminished many unique spiritual practices.

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