Review of Boy Wonder (2010) by Noah Abraham G — 08 Sep 2012
Most of the time when you search for a movie on Netflix Instant, it's probably going to suck. (I'm looking at YOU, "Choose"). This is not on those times.
Relatively unknown Caleb Steinmeyer plays Sean Donovan, a seventeen-year old boy still struggling to cope with the death of his mother (Tracy Middendorf) years after it happened. Sean and his father (Bill Sage) awkwardly try to connect, but the two don't really know each other. Sean spends his days reading up on chemistry and training at the gym. Eventually, he feels ready to deal with his trauma as best as he can: take the law into his own hands and kill murderers who escape justice.
On his trail is Teresa Ames (Zulay Henao), a young cop recently promoted to homicide. Teresa initially takes pity on Sean, befriending him and learning about his past. However, her suspicions grow. The writing in this film is very strong, and there are a lot of quiet drama moments where the actors are given a chance to shine. Steinmeyer is the standout performance here, although most of the cast does a really good job. Henao probably gives the film's weakest performance, although it may have more to do with her character than her acting.
The direction is also fantastic; Micheal Morrissey uses his limited budget to great effect, often coming up with some simple but poetic visuals to establish the flashbacks. The action isn't thrilling, but it isn't meant to be. It's uncomfortably brutal.
It's important to note that the film doesn't really take a side on Sean's actions. It presents them to the audience, allows the characters to debate them, but in the end, it doesn't really ask you to agree or disagree.
The film has flaws, of course. It would have been nice to see Sean take on a few more criminals than he does; it feels less like a rampage and more like a phase. Furthermore, a few characters feel underused, especially Teresa's partner, who has an intriguing character arc that is dropped completely in the film's second act.
All in all, though, Boy Wonder is a very solid drama (I hesitate to call it a thriller). If you have Netflix, you should watch it. NOW.
This review of Boy Wonder (2010) was written by Noah Abraham G on 08 Sep 2012.
Boy Wonder has generally received positive reviews.
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