Like Jimmy Stewart in “Rear Window,” NYPD beat cop Alex Tanguy will try to crack a case while he is laid-up with a broken leg. However, Tanguy will have help from a legitimate superhero. Yet, his secret weapon is also a scared little boy facing his own potential mortality. Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli riff on the film noir and superhero genres while keeping the human element front-and-center in the flat-out fantastic “Phantom Boy,” which screens during the 2016 New York International Children’s Film Festival.
Ever since young Leo was diagnosed with cancer, he discovered he could astral project. While resting from chemotherapy, he often leaves his body to help guide other patients’ wandering spirits back to their corporal selves. Most forget the experience when they awaken, but not Tanguy.
The hard-charging cop was ambushed by henchmen of a megalomaniacal villain who has taken New York hostage with a well-placed computer virus. Due to his bad rep, Tanguy’s captain refuses to listen to his intel, but crime reporter and potential love interest Mary Delauney is more than willing to follow-up his leads.
