“The Peanut Butter Falcon” is a wonderfully delightful way to spend 98 minutes. Directed by Tyler Nilson (“Identity Thief”) and Michael Schwartz (“Bricolage”), this modern day adaptation of Huckleberry Finn follows the narrative of Zak (Zack Gottsagen) and Tyler (Shia LaBeouf, “Honey Boy”), as they navigate through North Carolina. After its premiere at the South by Southwest festival, the movie has made rounds all over fortunate auditoriums.

Zak is a 22-year-old with Down syndrome living in a retirement home, waiting for some adventure to enter his restrained life. Gottsagen’s wit and charm are immediately felt from the opening scene. His characters’ interactions with Carl (Bruce Dern, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”) are heartwarming and pure, also establishing the innocence of the young man.

Tyler is a troubled person living with inner demons and longing for a spot within the world. Being a shady fisherman/trader occupies his time and energy, only leading to negative effects. A source of hope was all he needed to get out of the disastrous environment.

Through Bob Dylan’s “A Simple Twist of Fate,” Zak and Tyler become acquainted. A hesitant resistance gradually leads to a tender bond shown beautifully from Labeouf and Gottsagen. Moments solely between the two of them supplied the necessary emotional pull that the filmmakers were striving for.

Quaintness and spirituality were demonstrated fluently in the soundtrack containing songs from southern acts old and new. Audiences feel as if they are witnessing a “rebirth” of two individuals that are initially estranged from their surroundings for different reasons.

As the men are on their journey, Eleanor (Dakota Johnson, “The Friend”) is trailing them. She is the caretaker for Zak, representing the societal restrictions regarding “disabled” people. One weakness with the film is the evolution of her feelings towards Tyler. As with many love tropes, the script felt uneven and rushed in that regard. Johnson was still miles above performance-wise in relation to her popular role in the “Fifty Shades of Grey” series.

Otherwise, the screenplay allows Gottsagen to shine in his breakthrough role. Gottsagen, who has Down syndrome in real life as well, was pursued by Nilson and Schwartz to craft a story about his desire to become an actor. Seeing this piece of cinema allow a previously overlooked talent to display his skills only enhances the potential of the medium.

Using entertainment wrestling as the engine to further the narrative was a brilliant way to correlate Gottsagen’s struggle to find roles. WWE in particular is frequently looked down upon as “mindless” and “fake.” Just like members of the WWE, Zack’s character is more than meets the eye, being filled with resiliency, determination and courage despite the flawed general consensus held by many.

Indie films have become the gold standard of how to conduct tales featuring minorities with mesmerizing results. It is going to be interesting to follow Gottsagen, Nilson and Schwartz’s careers after releasing something this unique. “The Peanut Butter Falcon” not only was smart, engaging and innovative, but it was also masterfully shot to highlight the newfound freedoms that were found during the adventure.

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