When a man’s self-made utopia begins to crumble he is faced with the difficult decision between chasing the ideal or engaging in the new reality that is being forced upon him. The decision is made that much more difficult as the well-being of his six children hangs in the balance. This is the story of Captain Fantastic.

Ben Cash (Viggo Mortensen) is a highly educated, deeply independent man raising his family of eight off the grid in the Pacific North West. He trains his children in politics, literature, gardening and survival skills. Up until recently, Ben did all of this with his wife and soulmate, Leslie.

At the start of the story, it is revealed that Leslie had been in hospital for quite a while and the children were antsy for her return. When Ben drives in to town to get an update on his wife’s condition he is told that she died by her own hand, after years spent struggling with mental illness, a few days before. Ben returns to his woodland paradise and bluntly informs his children that there mother is gone.

Despite being told not to attend the funeral, Ben packs up his children and reenters the world he had left behind years ago. What ensues is a clash of ideals between Ben and his sister and a power struggle with his in-laws over the raising of the children.

Captain Fantastic was nominated for a slew of awards, and winning a hefty handful of them. This film was made for the bohemian Viggo Mortensen. There is an ease to his portrayal of this character that makes the whole story enchanting and beautiful to watch. He is genuinely wonderful as devoted father, Ben and has excellent chemistry with his young costars, all of whom had no problem holding their own on screen with Mortensen.

This flick is heart-warming, painful and funny is a magnificently quirky way. This is truly one of the hidden gems of Netflix and one you won’t want to miss!