Beyond Paradise (film)

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Beyond Paradise is a 1998 American independent drama film directed by David L. Cunningham. The story, inspired by Cunningham’s years living in Hawaii, follows a teenage boy’s life on the Big Island. The film runs 105 minutes and is in English and Hawaiian.

Plot
Mark Thompson leaves Los Angeles with his mother to live on the Big Island. He befriends three local youths—Ronnie (Lorenzo Callender), Zulu (Kalani), and Keao (Daryl Bonilla)—and faces bullying for being a haole, or foreigner. The three friends are drawn from Cunningham’s real-life high school circle, and the ending credits note these inspirations, with Keao being a composite character.

Cast
Starring Roy Newton as Mark Thompson, with Lorenzo Callender as Ronnie, Kalani as Zulu, Daryl Bonilla as Keao, and Priscilla Basque in supporting roles.

Production and release
The film was made on a modest budget under the working title Kama’aina, filming from December 26, 1996, to February 5, 1997. It premiered at the Honolulu International Film Festival in November 1997, had subsequent showings in Los Angeles, and received a limited theatrical release in 1999. Additional footage was shot later to include scenes with Mark’s father and friends in L.A. The DVD, released in 2003, does not include the extra scenes added for the 1999 release and has no major extras beyond the theatrical trailer.

Reception
Variety praised the film’s stunning visuals and soundtrack, while noting that Roy Newton’s lead performance needed work, though the supporting cast received praise.

Legacy
In 2022, the cast reunioned in a Zoom interview with 808 Viral after clips from the movie went viral. Director David L. Cunningham announced he was working on Beyond Paradise 2, which would feature many of the original cast.