Review of The Boy (2015) by Michael M — 28 Aug 2015

There were two movies about evil kids that had me intrigued from the first time I heard about them; "Goodnight Mommy" (Ich Seh Ich Seh) and this one, "The Boy." I saw the related short film "Henley" last year and wasn't quite sure what to make of that bleak story that seems to suggest a single father and his son, a lonely motel and an atmosphere of loneliness, sadness and despair. "Henley" certainly did not even hint at what "The Boy" slowly unravels to become; a truly disturbing and horrifying peak into the scarred mind of a dangerously unbalanced little boy growing up in a far less than perfect world. The questions that will formulate as you watch this film, is just how long will it take before this tow-head will bust a spring, what event will be the catalyst for internal madness unleashed and how far will the filmmaker go to illustrate what happens when an already mentally affected little boy goes off the rails. In a typical horror film orchestrated by an immature and cock-sure movie-maker who has read one Fangoria too-many, "The Boy" would be nothing more than a gory kid-slasher film. After viewing "The Boy", it is quite obvious that writer-director Craig William Macneill is a far more serious and accomplished filmmaker; one who obviously considers a quietly brooding chilly atmosphere of dread, more important than blood and guts, jolts and M. Night Shyamalan's brand of twists and revelations.

"The Boy" does not even try to be a horror film in the sense of the word. It is more of a sad commentary on the state of the world, through the eyes of a wounded and mentally unstable child. With the exception of the final act, (don't look too close at the art campaign, as it practically ruins the impact of the last segment in the movie) the actual 'horror' elements slowly develop and are very subtle, but extremely effective.

Warning: Spoiler ahead!

Take for example one sequence that seems to suggest this child simply having fun with another motel guest, a boy of about the same age. Although the boys innocently play and splash about in the motel pool, the intensifying score tells us something quite different and far more sinister is actually happening. "Taxi Driver" used a similar technique. In that film, Bernard Herrmann's ominous score is front and center during scenes that are neither dark or suspenseful, commanding the viewer to look deeper into the Travis Bickle character. In "The Boy", especially during the pool scene, the brooding score wants us to see what is really developing here, and out of nowhere it happens: an unexpected few seconds that hints of the horror to come and the monster that will unleash it. It is during this brief segment, that there is one single shot that provided more chills than any horror film I have seen this year.

There are two basic additional plot elements in this film: a mysterious man (wonderfully played by Rainn Wilson) who comes to stay for an extended period of time in this hotel; (I won't tell you what circumstances brought that about) and whom the boy takes a liking too, and an after-prom party that quickly goes out of control. While the latter is more conventional in terms of storytelling, the long sequence featuring Wilson is much more foreboding and deliberately evasive of any kind of explanation as to what he is all about. His arrival at the hotel, and the fact that the boy spends a lot of time with him, causes the child's father (David Morse) some anxiety. We don't know if this anxiety relates to pedophile-paranoia or just an emotionally battered father trying to hang on to any kind of love from his obviously unusual son.

Morse, as always is good in this movie, but it is Wilson who dominates the screen; so much that I think the roles could have easily been reversed to an even better effect. In a nod to excellent casting, Jared Breeze takes this haunting role to a level of perfection that is very rare in an American movie featuring a child on the screen almost the entire duration of the film. As I watched Breeze, I couldn't help but be reminded of Macauley Culkin's surprisingly effective performance in "The Good Son", but Breeze is even better suited for this kind of story, simply because while watching "The Good Son," despite Culkin's excellent subtle portrayal of childhood evil, we know its Home Alone star Macauley Culkin playing the part. The basically unknown Breeze could be any kid living in any town, and that fact works extremely well for the tone of this movie.

It appears that "The Boy" has had a long and difficult road to distribution, as it has mostly played on the festival circuit, with just a few days on a large screen before heading to VOD. Already there are fans for this movie, but just as many people don't seem to buy this premise. It is no surprise to me that "The Boy" is receiving mixed reviews, for one reason, because it doesn't play by the rules of conventional horror films. There is virtually no gore, just a few instances of profanity and the horror elements are not what fans of the genre usually salivate over. Having said that, when the film decides to get dark, it gets very dark and some particularly disturbing scenes, although mostly left to the imagination, are horrifying in every sense of the word.

So, we have two highly discussed evil-kid movies; "The Boy" and "Goodnight Mommy." While I found "Goodnight Mommy" to be intriguing, it was often confusing, poorly paced and not so well-acted by the so-called 'evil' kids. "The Boy" on the other hand, is the genuine article; a psychological horror film that delivers on every level.

Don't expect to enjoy this movie. There is virtually no comic relief to be found anywhere in this movie. and thank the movie Gods for that. "The Boy" is a movie that is uncompromisingly dark, haunting, very sad and terribly depressing. And just when you think you know where the movie is heading, it literally explodes into a truly terrifying and hellish final act that will leave most unsuspecting viewers emotionally reeling and drained from what they have just witnessed.

Try not to do any research into the movie, absolutely Ignore the poster artwork, skip reviews with spoilers and just sit back and be blown away by "The Boy." As I knew too much going into the film, my final assessment is that this is an excellent film. If I had simply just sat down and watched this movie, knowing little or nothing about it in advance, I would have sat motionless during the end credits knowing I just experienced nothing short of a psychological horror masterpiece.

By Closer Look TCB.