The Loneliest Boy On Earth is a documentary feature film that takes the life of creator Cameron Smith and puts it into a microscopic lens that transcends to screen.
Having premiered at Jengo’s Playhouse, a movie theater in Wilmington North Carolina on July 21st, the film has been deemed one of the weirdest releases of 2024 (in the best way possible – depending on what you’re into).
Starring the writer and director himself, Cameron Smith, The Loneliest Boy On Earth also stars actress Laina Martinez (who is known for her roles in titles like Everything & The Universe, The Devil’s Stomping Ground, and Smiling Friends (Puppet Version)), along with Alexandra Harris (who is known for titles such as Oh Crappy Day and A Song For Imogene). Other actors in the cast include Taylor Godbold, Trish Smart, Julez Orr, Julia Castellano, Laney Dobbs, Paris Edwards, Zack Gnapinski, Brian Granger, and many more.
According to The Loneliest Boy On Earth’s IMDb, artist and filmmaker Cameron Smith turns the camera on himself and sets out to create his own reality dating show that doesn’t end until he finds ‘the one’. This groundbreaking hyper-meta documentary psychodrama explores his vulnerability when it comes to all things love, romance, and women.
About The Creator: Cameron Smith
Cameron Smith is a filmmaker, comedian, podcaster, and rapper from Wilmington, North Carolina in the United States. Who, like many artists, channeled his loneliness into his craft. He is known for titles such as Shit Show (a TV series that he directed several episodes of), the feature Dagko na Tawo, Zygote, The Chris Spike Story, Weekend Movie, Rise To Stand-Up, and more.
Since his younger years, Smith has always had a camera in hand, capturing the world through his perspective and turning it into a result that you either understand or don’t. Regardless of your level of understanding, Smith presents art that captivates – be it in a good or a bad way. Which is why his documentary The Loneliest Boy On Earth is such a love-or-hate watch.
With filmmaker greats such as David Lynch, the director of titles such as Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, Twin Peaks, Eraserhead, and more as inspiration. Smith took a journey out of the dark subject matter that consumed his creative time, which led to a spiritual awakening.
Smith also has a background in acting, having lived in Los Angeles, and rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous. However, despite the glitz and glam of the LA lifestyle, Smith chose his art over pretense and moved away to focus on it.
Smith is multifaceted, also producing music as one of his artistic pursuits. You can check out his music on the following platforms: Official YouTube Channel | Official Spotify Channel | Official Apple Music Channel.
About The Film: “The Loneliest Boy On Earth” Documentary In-Depth Review
The Backstory Behind The Documentary
Smith created the documentary as he had always wanted to make one about his life, but was careful about the intention and how it would be perceived. He centered it around his biggest weakness, being bad with women.
In the film, Martinez’s character plays an interpretation of Smith’s real-life ex-partner in a role that mimics the past reality. Martinez stated in an interview that the role became surreal, the more that she acted it out, as the story blurred the lines of acting and reality – creating some complicated emotions.
However, she made sure to clarify that despite being based on reality, the film is indeed dramatized and fictionalized, especially with her interpreting her character in a new sense based on spoken attributes. Smith gave her free will to recreate the character into her own, stating that because of her experience as an actress with prowess, he trusted her.
her to do her own thing and that almost always (in one take) came through intuitively, true to his vision.
Smith describes acting and directing the film as a form of reflective therapy, as he got to relive some particularly difficult moments through their recreations and, in turn, see said situations in a new light.
“The things we most need to look at in our own psyches, for our development, are often the things that we least want to look at. It’s like the greatest forces of light are found in the darkest corners of the room.” – Cameron Smith, referencing Jordan Peterson
Additionally, the cast is said to have gotten quite immersed in the world of The Loneliest Boy On Earth as they, for instance, found themselves physically cringing after filming some scenes – shocked by the reality of Smith’s reality.
Cinematography & Editing Review
Off the bat, The Loneliest Boy On Earth gives an uneasy foreshadowing upon reading the title. Whether you interpret that to be uneasy in a sympathetic sense or in an uncomfortable sense, you’ll soon come to realize that both apply and the camera work replicates that.
Filmed on two cameras, one focused on the narrative and one in home-video style, on a handicam capturing behind-the-scenes-esque shots; which in editing takes you back and forth between what could just be a feature film and the realness of a true documentary.
The introduction of this documentary is jarring, to say the least. With a shroud of juxtaposing, rough jarring cuts, and disturbing visuals mixed into scenes that seem normal at first glance but unveil a layer of oddity – immediately, you are made uncomfortable and that feels every bit intentional as the voiceover implies how there are misunderstandings at play when it comes to said lonely boy. You immediately ask yourself, “Why should I care?”
Visually, the film – although intense in terms of subject matter – has some captivating imagery (once you shake off the shock factor). For example, Smith makes use of symbolism such as an isolated yellow rose on the beach shore (yellow roses symbolize.
friendship), then showing himself in front of said rose, a distance away, wearing the same color, but also alone.
Narrative & Acting Review
This film takes one on the journey of Cameron Smith-discovery, much like what it feels like to go on a journey of self-discovery but opposite in the sense that you are getting to know someone else in a pretty similar, although vicarious, way.
Ironically, we note that this loneliness, although ever-present, was not always the case when considering Smith’s immediate environment as he once was at the peak of interest, although it was because of his quirks.
There’s a LOT of sexual innuendos and references littered throughout the film. The man loves women. We got that through the film. It was hard to miss.
Additionally, the dialogue of this film felt incredibly dense. Whilst the golden rule of film is to show and not tell, even in the documentary genre, this film does the opposite. It is a lot of telling, a lot of listening, and a lot of focusing. However, oddly enough, this film keeps that focus going in an easy effort.
The film, in turn, shares a strong message about the evidently spreading epidemic that is loneliness. It is about more than just getting to know Cameron Smith and what makes him feel so alone. It is about making society look itself in the face, through an introspective lens, and ask itself why it holds a space between isolation and connection. It is a film that can resonate with those of us who feel loneliness even if only from time to time.
There is a slight contradictory element further on into the film, which we touched on earlier… For someone who claims to be ‘the loneliest boy on earth’, in the film, Smith has a whole lot of people around him. Unfortunately, the documentary genre lends itself to severe honesty, and what it reveals to us is that for someone who is lonely – he sure has a lot of people surrounding him. At that, a lot of the people around him (family and friends) have mostly good things to say about him. The sheer amount of people who were willing to sit down and speak to Smith for an interview also speaks volumes.
However, whilst as viewers we might gain this question mark upon whether he is really lonely or not, we need to consider that sometimes one can still feel lonely being in a room full of people. Loneliness can also be interpreted as being misunderstood and perhaps being anxious about how one is perceived.
Granted, the focus of the film is a case study about why Smith hasn’t been able to find love. So, as viewers, we need to give him grace in that regard. Not being able to find someone who can appreciate you as your authentic self can be an isolating experience, and just as we are starting to forget said focus of the film, the documentary reminds us in some moments.
In an interview, Smith mentioned that in the process of making this film, he let go of the idea of pushing an agenda through the storytelling of it. He leaves the documentary open to interpretation, acknowledging the polarizing nature of it, and hoping that his growth arc can either resonate with the audience or at least fascinate them, even if they don’t fully agree with it.
Love it or hate it, the goal remains the same. Actor and director, Cameron Smith, wants to make you feel something and we dare to say that he achieves exactly that.
Where To Watch “The Loneliest Boy On Earth”
Many have been anticipating the release of The Loneliest Boy On Earth and just as many have been wondering where to watch the doccie.
“I can’t wait to see this. The trailer is great. And the “deep dive” into the “why” is intriguing.” – “The Loneliest Boy On Earth” Fan on Facebook
You can check out the full trailer for The Loneliest Boy On Earth below.
The film is currently available on Cameron Smith’s Patreon at a steal for only $10, for those who are eager to dive into the attention-grabbing narrative early.
Alternatively, The Loneliest Boy On Earth will be available to watch for free on YouTube as of September 8th.
What did you think of The Loneliest Boy On Earth? Let us know in the comments!