Review of The Boy (2016) by Jonathan B — 06 Feb 2016
A mediocre attempt at horror. A decent attempt at drama.
The horror elements are cheap and redundant. Jump scares and a slow buildup make the first 25 minutes of this movie boring and frustrating. This viewer began to wonder about the motivation of such a frustratingly non-violent villain - this is where the movie shifts gears into a decent drama. The identity and motivation of Braums (the boy) drives the story in a positive direction once Greta (main protagonist) becomes aware that the doll is more than it appears to be.
The story does a decent job at helping the audience become attached and interested in the characters. The final twist is indeed surprising however the movie quickly returns to being a predictable horror flick afterwards. After witnessing a deep connection between characters, the resulting switch back to screams and stabbing seems shallow. The ending is satisfying but feels low-balled - a sign that the true intentions of the movie were to scare, not inspire.
The movie fails on this front. The movie's drama will bore most younger viewers, and the horror/drama elements trip each other up concerning a more mature audience.
This review of The Boy (2016) was written by Jonathan B on 06 Feb 2016.
The Boy has generally received mixed reviews.
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