The House of Tomorrow

In this adaptation of Peter Bognanni’s novel, 16-year-old Sebastian (Asa Butterfield) is sheltered and socially awkward, thanks to a life spent studying the teachings of futurist Buckminster Fuller while living in a Fuller-designed geodesic dome in the Minnesota woods with his overprotective grandmother (Ellen Burstyn). After a chance meeting with the green-haired Jared (Alex Wolff), Sebastian is introduced to the world of punk rock, though he soon learns that his new pal, a recent heart transplant patient, has his own reasons to rebel. A soundtrack energized with songs from the Germs and the Stranglers, a winning cast (Nick Offerman plays Jared’s churchgoing father; Maude Apatow plays his sarcastic but sweet sister), and the clever integration of Fuller’s inventions and philosophies into the script make this offbeat indie all the more charming. The House of Tomorrow is a refreshingly sincere ode to the power of friendship. —Cheryl Eddy