Review of The Good Son (1993) by Tom R — 08 Sep 2012

(3 Stars) The Good Son is the funniest Lifetime movie not made by Lifetime. It's exaggerated and mean spirited, but enjoyable because of it. It also suffers from movie bipolar disorder, notably with the family friendly score and beautiful bright Nantucket setting mixed with a psychotic child who talks like Hannibal Lecter. Henry (Macaulay Culkin) is just evil with very little explanation. He wants his family to die and hides behind his innocence to accomplish it... it should be a good premise and Culkin would be perfect for the role, but Henry's dialogue sounds very written by an adult for a villain in a James Bond movie. Kids who talk like adults are usually very creepy, but Culkin was a master of it, mostly thanks to John Hughes dialogue. He's still acting here, but it's so hammy and unrealistic (even if he was a fifty year old).

His mom (Wendy Crewson) and dad (Daniel Hugh Kelly) are oblivious and probably the worst parents ever. They let one of their kids drown, they leave their kids home alone (ha, see what I did there?), and neither of them suspect Henry of being... I don't know... insane. Mark (Elijah Wood) moves in temporarily since his mother dies of cancer. Wood is good here, but I wonder if he actually knew how malicious the movie is.

But you know what? Some parts of it actually are kind of thrilling. The cinematography is engaging and interesting and the setting is alluring. I'm down with it as a campy, unbalanced movie with no moral fiber. The Good Son is shoddy, but amusing and diverting.