In a desolate industrial zone of Adelaide, Bubby is a mentally challenged 35-year-old man who lives in a squalid house with his abusive, religiously fervent mother. The two share a suffocating routine: his mother keeps him isolated, convinces him that the outside air is toxic, and warns that Jesus will strike him down if he ever steps out. Their relationship is deeply troubled and intertwined with control, as Florence frequently encourages Bubby to engage in incestuous acts with her, while the two survive only with the companionship of a pet cat that tragedy ultimately claims through a cruel accident with clingwrap. This bleak domestic world is shattered when Harold, Angel's Father, returns after years away, having abandoned Florence to pursue a preaching life. He bears little warmth for his son, mocks his condition, and participates in the physical abuse that colors Bubby’s childhood. The cycle of cruelty intensifies, leaving Bubby in a defenseless, frightened state, until a desperate act of suffocation ends his parents’ reign and propels him toward the unknown world beyond the house.
From that moment, [Bubby] steps into a society that barely notices him yet cannot ignore the spectacle of his behavior. He is taken in by members of The Salvation Army and wanders into the town center, where locals taunt him for his social awkwardness and odd conduct. A rock band notices him and offers a lift, and he helps them set up a gig, finding in their world both welcome and unease. The band grows fond of him, even as his unpredictability unsettles them. When a newspaper report appears about the murder of his parents and implies he may be the killer, the band members decide to send him to stay with their friend Dan, hoping to separate him from the crowds that might misjudge him. Dan becomes a new anchor, and the two men share meals and conversations that reveal Bubby’s hunger for belonging, even as his behavior remains troubling and unpredictable.
Yet trouble continues to follow him. After a dinner outing with Dan, Bubby fondles a woman and is arrested. In jail, he refuses to cooperate with the warden and is rebuked as punishment, placed in a separate cell where he is assaulted by another inmate, known only as “The Animal.” The prison chief ultimately declares him rehabilitated and releases him back into the world. In a church, Bubby encounters a figure known as The Scientist, who articulates a radical, bleak philosophy: God does not exist, and it is humanity’s duty to “think God out of existence” and shoulder responsibility for themselves. > “God does not exist,” he proclaims, “and it is the job of humans to think God out of existence and take responsibility for themselves.” This encounter marks a turning point in Bubby’s perception of purpose and his place in a world that has never treated him kindly.
Back in the world, Bubby returns to a pub and again fondles a woman, drawing a violent response from her friends. Overwhelmed by rejection and disillusionment, he strips away the old identity and dons his father’s clothes to become the persona of Pop. With a newly found confidence, he reenters the town and finds a stray cat to care for, a symbol of nurture he has long craved. He reappears at the rock club, where he delivers a surreal, hypnotic performance on stage—repeating phrases he has absorbed from others—earning a curious adoration from the crowd. He returns to feed his cat, only to discover it has been killed by local hoodlums, a fresh wound that intensifies his emotional volatility.
A compassionate nurse, Angel, caring for people with physical disabilities, becomes his next beacon. They form a bond and become lovers, and Bubby finds a strange sense of belonging in her tenderness. They retreat to the care center, and his fixation on her breasts—reminding him of his mother—loosens his fear and fuels his affectionate power. Angel invites him to dinner with her strict and religious parents, a meal that becomes a crucible of humiliation for her. They mock her weight, provoking Bubby to curse at God in anger, and the blowback from Angel’s parents forces him to leave. The conflict culminates in a grim act: Bubby uses clingwrap again to kill Angel’s parents, severing the last thread of social resistance to their relationship and carving out a brutal path toward a life that feels truly his own. Still, the couple remains together, and they eventually start a family, finding perhaps a fragile sense of peace as they build a new life together.
- The story preserves a steady core: a man shaped by abuse, isolation, and a society that rarely sees him as anything more than an anomaly, who nevertheless discovers moments of connection, artistry, and forbidden love. Through Bubby’s evolving alter egos—the boy, the Pop figure, and the steadfast partner to Angel—the film tracks a paradoxical journey: a brutal path toward self-definition that nonetheless ends with fragile, ambiguous happiness. The film’s tone remains restrained, its world harsh and unyielding, yet it never loses sight of Bubby’s humanity, his longing for touch and approval, and the small, stubborn glimmers of beauty that survive amid chaos.
[Notes on performances and cast connections]
- Bubby anchors the film with a daunting mix of vulnerability and odd charisma.
- The maternal force is represented by Mum, a figure whose presence shapes Bubby’s entire world.
- Angel becomes the film’s emotional fulcrum, offering tenderness that clashes with his volatile impulses.
- Pop marks a pivotal reinvention of identity, a mask that allows him to navigate the world with audacious confidence.
- The film’s philosophical turn arrives through The Scientist, who voices a stark nihilism that challenges Bubby to consider responsibility beyond religious belief.
The narrative unfolds as a stark, unflinching examination of a man who cannot fit the mold of ordinary society, yet who discovers a path toward dignity, connection, and family in the most unlikely of places. If you’re seeking a raw, uncompromising character study wrapped in a bleak, surreal edge, this story offers a long, contemplative journey into the heart of a difficult life and the stubborn hope that persists within it.
