The Boy (I) (2015) User Reviews (63)

Accurate depiction of a sociopath in childhood

[otakucode · 7/10 · 25 August 2015]

(Contains conceptual but not plot spoilers)

The Boy is a slow film because it needs to be. The audience is given much to think about. Ted is a 9 year old sociopath. What degree of that is due to his experiences and how much is down to his genetics is an open question for the audience to consider. It is set in the late 1980s, prior to the start of the pedophile panic in the mid-1990s so Ted gets the opportunity to interact with the guests, each of which he uses to further his goals. A modern audience will likely worry for his safety, but it quickly becomes clear that the guests are the ones who are unsafe as Ted uses his access and position of presumed powerlessness to get what he wants.

Like any sociopath, Ted is short on emotions. He is entirely goal-driven and utterly amoral in his pursuit of those goals. Other reviewers have described him as angry, but the only time he ever appears angry is when his father interferes with Teds goals. The rest of the time he is a typical sociopath with a flat affect, displaying no malice, anger, or any other emotion.

The classics are all there - abusing and killing animals, arson, manipulation, hurting other people just to see what happens, and unwavering pursuit of arbitrarily-chosen goals. Overall a chilling depiction of a sociopath and a warning to not expect moral restraint of their actions, regardless of their age.

Atmospheric and eerily realistic

[utexashorns · 7/10 · 28 February 2016]

First, let me say that this film is very underrated because of those that don't appreciate psycho/social storyline building that does not have instant gratification. If you are one of those then move on- you wont appreciate this understated and psychological story.

The story shows how the pain, anger and isolation of a frustrated young boy can create just the right recipe for a Sociopath. It presents a story that is realistic and chilling as you watch the progression of the boy's desperation and thus psychosis taking hold of him. The atmosphere is quietly horrifying as you feel the constant loss and emptiness that surrounds this boy and the way it understandably sets the stage for his survival. He needs to get out of there and get away, but is becoming more and more socially awkward do to the isolation and heavy depression that surrounds him. This creates an emotional numbness that leads him to distract himself with creating drama and destruction around him until he finally decides to find his opportunity to escape by any means necessary.

Loneliness is a Disease

[Shadowplayed · 7/10 · 18 August 2015]

...And it brings out the worst in people. Take Ted and his dad for example. John (David Morse) is depressed and bit of a drinker, running a run down motel in a middle of nowhere, where guests arrive only by accident. Ted is a cute little blond boy, who caught an acute case of sociopathy, he's fascinated with death and very weird young man.

The running thread in this film is vast, unavoidable loneliness of the place and characters, not a healthy situation for a kid, who's getting bored and his anger for being stuck there builds slowly.

Creepy kids are often quite annoying, that's just how things are, and it's kinda hard to actually root for them but there are certain aspects of his life that can make us feel bad for Ted. At least occasionally, and for a brief moment. Mom's run away with some random guest, so he's left with the father, a decent guy but kind of lethargic and a loner himself. And the dream that he'll one day leave this miserable place and join his mother.

The pace is very slow which of course stresses the atmosphere, the actual misdeeds that we witness break away from the overall melancholy and outbursts of anger provide much needed dynamics. There are moments of tension which get slowly drowned by the tone of the film, building on leisurely drama rather than lifting the horror elements. But the finale is certainly fitting, as all we'd seen before it led to the big resolution.

This film is not particularly original, let me mention brilliant The Good Son, as a reference; but it follows the recent trend in cinema where slow burn drama dominates even straight genre work, making them seem more arty and meditative at the expense of action sequences. Making even US films like this one, seem more...I don't know...European in tone and style.

The film doesn't really dwell on the boy's nature, it doesn't raise obligatory nature vs nurture question as we are aware this boy's life is not happy. On the other hand it deals with father - son relationship a bit, making it very clear mom's absence and isolation has really affected the kid. But has it really, or did he just want to break away from boring routine where nothing happens unless you make it so yourself? "Oh well. We all do what we can not to think about life" I suppose.

Amazing filmcraft! Pleas watch it, and enjoy!

[robinhovden-88452 · 8 August 2017]

Well.. Many people finds this movie piece, boring, slow. To me, it's a gem, wonderful!

I don't really see why anyone should think it's boring. The "slow" phase of the movie is just character development.. In many of the scenes, the boy does unspeakable things that are sitter natural or common. And he pushes the limits more and more.. And makes the film more and more exciting and creepy! And the story is so very creepy, and good, thanks to excellent acting!

I really love this indie film, the cinematography and acting, not to mention the director in this movie is brilliant! Who would have guessed that a comedian from "The office" was this talented and perfect for the creepy-vibe role!? The kid also nails his part! I really love this flick, recommended highly! (Try to get inn the story, and not give up... It's not boring, it's character/story development!

I'd rather watch paint dry.

[emberstonepierce · 3/10 · 9 October 2015]

To be honest, it seemed like an interesting idea that simply didn't work as a film. Although there's some great acting, the plot moves so slowly that it's like pulling teeth. I found myself getting very bored quite early on and things just never really picked up from there. The characters are interesting and well developed, but just don't seem to engage the audience, leaving you with little sympathy for them as events unfold. As always, I stuck with this movie to the end hoping that it would improve or that I'd be dazzled by some shocking twist in the plot towards the end, but to no avail. As a study into mental health disorders or the origins of psychotic or sociopathic behaviour it's probably excellent - as an entertaining movie to watch one evening at home, unfortunately it fails on many levels and leaves you wondering why you bothered to waste your time.

The psychological origin of psycho, although it may be too slow for some.

[quincytheodore · 6/10 · 20 August 2015]

Growing up without internet or video game is bad enough, but Ted has to live in a remote motel in the middle of nowhere. The premise of a child gradually becoming more bizarre in his nature is executed fairly well, it gives audience a clear view of how the isolation and what little interaction he has shapes his mind. However, with runtime almost two hours and majority of it is uneventful, this slow burner might not appeal to mainstream audience.

Thriller or horror nowadays is leaning towards faster pace developments. For example, Gone Girl delivers twists and turns frequently. The Boy is more of a slow burner, it portrays Ted and his strange mental process. Much of it is by his body language and others' influences. This keeps the audience guessing on his state of mind as the young boy seemingly perceives things awkwardly different than we would.

The better parts of the movie show that Ted might just be the victim of condition or unlucky encounter with wrong people. From his father and guests, all have inherited flaws which Ted may misguidedly follow. The other angle is he's already disturbed from the beginning and takes advantage of others. He doesn't talk much, and it's probably better that way since the scenes are more effectively when he's silent.

The main concern is the slow pace. Sure, it has good cinematography, but there are many lingering shots. Music is steadily becoming grim, and this is more weird than dreadful since there's barely significant development as the scenes are prolonged more than they need be. It feels as though the movie hypes a dreadful scene only to shift to normal dialogue.

It's eerie at times simply by how isolated and lonely The Boy is portrayed, but it could benefit from faster screenplay, especially in few bland moments that barely contribute to the story.

It looks like an art-house psychological thriller filled with placebo scares. Not an easy movie ...

[peterp-450-298716 · 5/10 · 8 September 2015]

"Your wife is nothing but a pile of dirt now."

Couldn't you fall asleep the last few nights ? Or you just finished a heavy night shift ? Or those nagging rascals at home are driving you bananas all day ? In other words, you are completely groggy and you long for a good rest, then you definitely shouldn't watch "The Boy" because I guarantee you that you'll be dozing off. This psychological thriller (and certainly not horror) about a would-be psychopath in the making is eerie slow and creepy boring at the same time. Before a witch hunt is being unleashed against my little person, let me mention briefly that I really understood (probably) the initial intention of this film (which is surely successful when it comes to the images used). Although you could interpret it in different ways.

Perhaps the film was set up in such a way that the monotonous, isolated and lonely life of Ted played a central role. A boring and daily routine without any expectations of improvement. Hence the recurrent slow still lifes and moments. The hoisting of a car is shown in detail, sheriff Whit looking at the motel in his patrol car patiently for a long period and especially Ted apparently accepting his fate and looking at the distant horizon all the time. Or maybe, Ted is devising an ingenious plan so he can get out of this hopeless situation? Are all carefully executed actions a part of that larger plan? And a good plan obviously needs a precise preparation. Or is it simply the story of a teenager growing up and wandering around unsupervised in the vicinity of the motel? A tedious daily struggle where he tries to amuse himself by collecting rubbish that he discovers here and there and collecting squashed carcasses of animals who tried to cross the road. Or are we really witnessing the slow birth of a psychopath who is fascinated by death? Personally, I think it's a mix of all this.

There isn't really much happening in "The Boy". It takes almost an hour and a half before the demonic part is unleashed (slightly exaggerated terminology). It's also a fiery apotheosis in which one can assume that the meticulously prepared plan (if there was one) has the perfect result. But I'm afraid that the animal rights activists will make more fuss about this film. It isn't really exciting and calling Ted a real psychopath is also a bit exaggerated. The tension is a kind of playing-the-lottery tension, as I call it. You wait anxiously for the result, but you're always disappointed because the outcome is absolutely nothing. The same thing happens in "The Boy". There are moments where you expect it will finally begin. But eventually you just sit there unsatisfied while the story continues calmly. It seems like an art-house psychological thriller filled with placebo scares.

What remains are the magnificent snapshots and beautiful renditions. Jared Breeze as Ted, who's on his own, has an innate naturelle. There's not a moment you feel as if he's acting. It looks like he's just using stuff that happened in his personal, young life. David Morse as the melancholy, boozing father who realizes that the day will come that his son leaves for California to find his mother. A beautiful, demure rendition. And Rainn Wilson as the unfortunate traveler who stranded in that deserted place after a rough collision with an animal. The friendship that grows between him and the strange boy is on the one hand quite surreal and on the other hand fascinating. "The Boy" will not be appreciated by everyone and is certainly not an easy film to digest. Apparently it's the first part of a trilogy. Let's hope the next two sections have a stronger content and less emphasis on the symbolic and atmosphere.

More reviews here : http://bit.ly/1KIdQMT

Held me in my seat from beginning to end ...

[herrick416 · 7/10 · 2 December 2019]

What's with the bad reviews ? For an offbeat kind of slasher film but not really .... yes it's dismal and shabby and possibly only 1 likable character (basically we see the lowest of humanity) and lousy parenting lousy kid lousy life lousy motel lousy infrequent guests most of whom are glad to check out .. but the prom invasion at the end trumps all for ugly and vulgar. A nice combination. So when bad things happen to rotten people with whom we have no emotional investment, it's not as difficult to take. No emotional investment is not to say the acting is bland or the dialogue shallow -to the contrary. The characterization is good - we really get to know these people very well (too well) which means we aren't manipulated into grieving any we lose. I had no idea what this film was about-I found it on SciFi Demand and I love to see an independent film. The cinematography the colors the mountains the dust -it's all fantastic. This is no crappy production. It's creepy and I'm glad it's a little over the top to make the story 'lighter' where I needed it anyway. Exaggerated-that's the right word .. It felt short not sweet. I was moved enough to yell commands at the characters and I watched right to the bitter (and perfect) end . PS No resemblance to Psycho! This one is more believable, less of a farce yet still can be taken lightly. I'd say it must be taken lightly in fact. They're both suspenseful and captivating, If that's a commonality. When I saw a review that mentioned Psycho 'where it was done better' ? No I don't think this movie 'set out to do' anything ... nor to resemble Psycho excerpt superficially. I believe some films stand alone. Yes in that way they are similar in that they are not.

Checking out

[begob · 5/10 · 10 September 2015]

Boy tries to break out from his isolation by killing everyone around him.

Hard to write a logline for this without spoilers. Lots to praise - cinematography and editing are excellent, the lead performers perfect, and the sound is always interesting. People complain about the pace, but I think it's judged just right.

But there are huge problems with the story, and that's why it's tough to get a set-up logline for the movie. It's not a horror. Not a psychological thriller. Not a character study. The boy lays traps, but this isn't used in the climax. The boy vents his rage by booting a chicken to death, but the cute bunny is left unharmed - very tame. The sheriff is a pure exposition character. And the prom sequence has no imagination in the otherwise excellent direction. The fight scene between the boy and the bullies is rage-making, but that's as energetic as it gets and it feels one dimensional.

Overall, it looks and sounds good but the story doesn't come together. Needs a strong dose of crazy.

Watchable but VERY slow

[donttouchmeprimate · 6/10 · 2 April 2021]

A good cast save this film from becoming a boring watch. It has a couple of uneasy scenes and the story plays out as you'd kind of expect. It just went on a little too long, this film could have cut at least 30 minutes of footage and the film would have not felt or looked any different, its a slow burn but this was arse-strainingly slow for the most part.

If there were to be a sequal though - I would watch it.

Boring

[jtlpeavey · 1/10 · 13 November 2015]

After seeing the commercials and watching the preview for this movie I was excited to see it. However, after actually watching it on IFC on Friday night my excitement quickly subsided and I was amazed at how boring the movie turned out to be. I kept hoping it would get better but it didn't. It was hard to watch the whole movie but I wanted to make sure I gave it every chance to get better. It did not get better. The characters are very weak and there is not a lot of depth to them. The acting isn't bad. The movie has some good talent in it. The writing (or lack there of) is what kills this movie. We are essentially watching a bored child mope around a motel and take his frustration out on everything and everyone around him. Perhaps they could have done a little more background on the farther son relation so that we had a better understanding of the back story. The movie billed itself as a thriller but this was anything but. Not a worthwhile movie to watch. Very boring.

Ignore the morons, this is brilliant filmmaking

[ronster100 · 9/10 · 14 October 2015]

The Boy follows the evolution - or the beginning of it - of a young boy from troubled son of a failed motel manager, to budding serial killer. Cinematography and music score are simply outstanding, as are the performances by the whole cast, and the film carries a tremendous atmosphere of brooding menace, whilst simultaneously capturing the carefree curiosity - and cruelty - of a lonely child. I am saddened, but not surprised, by the lazy, idiotic reviews given by some people on this site - just so you know guys, this is how stories are supposed to be told, unfolding naturally to a great climax rather than throwing five murders into the first few minutes and then having absolutely nothing else to say for the next ninety... and all shot on "found footage", blah blah blah. True kudos to the director; this is a terrific calling card from a real filmmaker that will hopefully start a great career.

Dour and compelling

[michael-3204 · 6/10 · 14 August 2016]

A more descriptive title for this film might be "A Portrait of the Psychopath as a 9-Year-Old Boy," but whatever you call it, it's a creepy, mostly effective examination of profoundly disturbed child Ted (Jared Breeze) trapped in an isolated existence in a run-down, failing motel run by his broken father (David Morse).

Death and decay are the overriding preoccupations here, especially young Ted's growing fascination with anything dead and dying, so much so that he starts to engineer the outcomes he's intrigued by with increasingly dire consequences. This isn't a film that necessarily can be spoiled (though I won't give away plot developments) because you can see where it's going almost from the first scene. Director/co-writer Craig William Macneill is not interested in surprises or twists, but in constructing an atmosphere that leads inexorably to the what seems like the inevitable finale. He does so through long, static (or nearly so) shots of scenery and action that is often filmed at a remove -- characters half-hidden by obstructions of various types or framed in the background. He gets a lot of mileage out of the desolate beauty of his location. This was filmed in Colombia, but is set in non- specific rural U.S. roughly two days drive from Florida (that's as specific as it gets). Like Macneill's angelic-looking star, the scenery here could be quite pleasant, peaceful and innocent, but the film instead emphasizes its (and Ted's) more menacing, uncaring qualities. The particular combination of stylistic characteristics he evokes is a bit like Alfred Hitchcock meets Peter Greenaway, minus the lushness.

Breeze and Morse carry the lion's share of the film on their very capable shoulders. Rainn Wilson and, somewhat surprisingly, Mike Vogel are also on hand in smaller, not terribly demanding roles. Breeze, especially, is very effective without resorting to showier. idiosyncratic or self-conscious acting that child performers in horror movies are often directed to perform. Breeze's matter-of- fact, naturalistic performance helps sell the extent to which some of what Ted gets up to is what any lonely kid trying to amuse and occupy himself would do, while some is only what a child lacking any empathy could do.

This is a pretty dour movie -- there aren't any obvious characters to root for or even be engaged by save Ted and his unfortunate father. There's not much to cheer here, nor much relief from the bleak view of humanity, nature and how they intersect. As such, it's not a fun watch, but it is intriguing and stylish enough to hold viewers' interest, if they approach it in the right frame of mind.

a complete waste of time

[samahashish25 · 3/10 · 24 March 2016]

This movie is pointless ! I mean what exactly is this movie's message for us ?! What 's the point of the whole thing ? Where exactly is it going ??

I started this movie with a good vibe it's gonna be something , then I went beyond the first 30 minutes where the events kept playing in a very slow dull pointless course ! after the first hour I found out I'm seriously wasting time here.. the movie is going on in its dull non-sense course . I continued to watch just to know how it's gonna end , or what's the point of all of this.

The ending is shocking and can't be predicted from the course of events , which is a good thing about the movie. Another couple of good things are; one , the acting of the young Ted , he nailed it ! having this expressionless empty psycho face.. and two, the atmosphere the director managed to put us in through the whole time of the movie.

Don't recommend it for anybody.

The phrase "An Idle Mind Is The Devil's Playground" would perhaps be the best tag line for a film like this.

[Amari-Sali · 22 August 2015]

(TV Viewing)

In a world in which more and more titles are released on demand, either alongside a theatrical release or without one, I find films like The Boy to be excellent examples of how some films are better off being VOD. If only because it is the type of film which requires patience, and isn't necessarily something which you may be able to, or want to, watch in one sitting. For with it handling its subject matter in a way which isn't sensationalized, like The Omen or films of that nature, it forces you to watch this film as a character study. For Ted is not someone killing just because he can, but because it may be the only way out of a situation he doesn't like. Hence the TV Viewing label for this film isn't at all about the shock of a child killer, but more so how a child slowly reaches the point of becoming capable of killing anything from an animal to a human being. A process which isn't at all quick, but ultimately is, for a lack of a better word, satisfying.

A serial killer movie that's super duper boring

[larambarry-98773 · 1/10 · 19 June 2020]

It was so slow it was excruciatingly painful to watch, I did 25 minutes and wanted to tear my hair oil out in clumps I was so bored.

There was definitely potential here...

[RevRonster · 6/10 · 1 September 2015]

"The Boy" was a bit of a mixed bag for me. It wasn't completely amazing but it definitely stopped short of being completely worthless.

On the good side, the film has some stupidly amazing performances from Rainn Wilson, David Morse and, especially, Jared Breeze. Additionally, director Craig William Macneill did a tremendous job of creating atmosphere and through visuals and music definitely gave the film an uneasy feeling that promised suspense and terror. On the bad side, the film never lives up to the atmosphere that was created due to a running length that felt too long, a story that dragged too often and poor character development.

The film had some potential but it stopped short of achieving it.

Very slow burn of a film, not really worth it but not all that bad

[KineticSeoul · 5/10 · 26 June 2016]

The main reason I decided to check this movie out was because it has Rainn Wilson in it. I liked his performances in a lot of the movies he is in, even the ones that aren't so good. This time around he takes on a way more serious role in a serious and psychological movie. This is a film that delves into the inner demons of a boy and the environment he is brought up in. This is however a slow-burn of a movie, with it not appearing to have a direction most of the way through. So yeah, the build up can bore the hell out of audiences that doesn't have the patience and focus for a film such as this. It's a low budget indie film that is more focused on the build up than having a actual sense of direction. Which would be fine if it was somewhat engaging. It does get engaging when the frustration of the boy and his feeling of being alone and caged in start to really kick in. But it takes a very very long time to get to that point. The rest just seems quite pointless, despite the boring raw dialogues. I did however liked how it blends in the interpretation of being bad and being misunderstood. Because you as the audience will try to grasp as to what really going on in the mind of the boy in this film. For a very slow burn movie such as this, 2 hours may take a toll on your patience but I personally thought it was a alright watch. I just wouldn't ever see it again.

5.8/10

A look at a boy's behaviour who was isolated from the society.

[Reno-Rangan · 6/10 · 14 April 2016]

The entire setting reminds us the movie 'Psycho'. More or less it could have had made a good prequel to that, like the portrayal of Norman Bates' childhood. As an independent film from any previous narrative, it was quite good actually. Inspired by a novel that tells the story of a 9 year old boy who runs a motel with his father in a nowhere. In a lonely place where the customers are very rare, how the boy develops his behavious without social consciousness is what this movie is.

Trust me, realism means this movie, but there's always flaws in a small budget film like this. If you always scan for logic, you can't enjoy any movie even in small quantity. Empty your thoughts and get into it, then there's a chance you might like it. I'm not saying it'll become your favourite, but the depiction was so good which was quite similar to the recent Austrian movie 'Goodnight Mommy'.

It is not a horror, but a thriller-drama. A terrifying theme, that means terror-horror, thus it called horror. Other than that there's no supernatural or sci-fi things in it. It was a decent movie to me, I felt it was slightly underrated. The turnaround in the storytelling was very good yet predictable stuff. The filmmaker must bring a sequel for it, otherwise I'll be very disappointed.

6/10

Creepy boy in a remote motel? "Psycho" did it better.

[Coventry · 3/10 · 3 October 2018]

I'm honestly struggling to capture what the moral/main theme of this film might be. Wait, perhaps I got it now! If your young child grows up in a practically isolated geographical location, where you don't give him too much parental attention and allow for his that his best pals are roadkill carcasses, then there's a fair chance he'll turn into a little freak with maniacal tendencies and limited social skills. Wow, really? Thanks for the advice; I'll try not to let that happen to my own son.

Alright, I'm exaggerating perhaps, but there honestly isn't too much else to learn from Craig William Macneill's "The Boy"! Admirers and wannabe intellectual cinephiles might claim that the film gives a lesson in tension-building and character development, but that's hardly defendable. "The Boy" starts out boring, the entire middle-section is boring, and the climax is frustratingly boring! Since 1960, since Norman Bates in "Psycho" in other words, we already know that remote and ramshackle roadside motels aren't ideal places for the mental development of vulnerable young men, so the overlong and supposedly harrowing story of single father David Morse trying to give space and liberty to his 9-year-old son Ted is redundant, uninteresting and pathetic. There is absolutely nothing happening throughout 2/3 of the film, unless you find tire-swinging or scooping up dead squirrels a fascinating sight. Then, when you hope the action might finally shift into a higher gear because the motel is suddenly filled with disposable teenagers during their senior prom after party, "The Boy" incomprehensibly becomes even more cowardly and dull. The least that we, patient and tolerant viewers, deserved to see was a psychopathic rampage and not a lousy mass-murdering! I usually have a lot of sympathy for both David Morse and Rainn Wilson, but they shouldn't feel forced to star in over-ambitious but substantially void projects like these, just because they assume it'll look good on their resumes. The only 45 seconds in "The Boy" that I truly enjoyed were the ones during which Jefferson Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Stop us" was playing on the radio.

Boredom and loneliness can make you become a disturbed person

[deloudelouvain · 7/10 · 17 July 2016]

Although the movie might be a bit slow for some people, me included in fact, it is still well worth watching. Watching the kid growing up into a sociopath, fighting the solitude by doing macabre things like killing innocent animals and tricking people into visiting their motel, was interesting to watch. You can't fault any of the actors because they all did their job very well. Even the boy played by young Jared Breeze did a very good performance. You can feel the despair from the boy, just wanting attention and another life then his boring existence he has with his dad running an unsuccessful motel in the middle of nowhere. The filming is very good. The story is sometimes a bit slow but in the context of the movie, and the boring life they have, it's actually necessary to be slow. I would just not call it a horror movie, but a psychological drama. Enjoyable drama worth watching at least once.

kick the boy

[squarejello · 2/10 · 4 July 2021]

Best moment of the movie was when he was beat up by the high schoolers i wish they never stopped kicking him.

A psychological gem

[debbie-mittleman · 10/10 · 1 September 2015]

I would advise viewers to ignore most of the critic reviews on this one. I was engrossed from start to finish. There are no car chases and no fancy plot twists, but The Boy is a thoroughly enthralling film about a young boy who not only is dealing with a lot of boredom living at and running a remote motel with his father, but is also experiencing a good deal of anger and angst over the fact that his mother left them.

The actors were outstanding, and I was impressed by the character development. Some have complained that the movie is "too slow," but I think the pace captures the boy's experience quite well, and offers up chilling dinner table fodder. I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a solid psychological thriller.

Very impressive writing and characters, but not a Horror film.

[nitzanhavoc · 6/10 · 14 March 2016]

The first and most important thing to remember if you'd like to watch The Boy without succumbing to boredom (in my opinion) is that it isn't actually a Horror film (at least not the way most of us have been made used to). Far from it. No eerie atmosphere, no jump- scares or "boo!" moments, no unnecessary gore (thank God for that), and pretty much nothing that appeals to the basic human physiology. I kept on waiting for something (anything) to actually happen, for the plot to become compelling or in any way interesting to watch... Unfortunately, I had to wait until the end of the film to realize I've wasted my time on account of not watching it right (if there even is such a thing).

First of all, the acting is great. I've been a David Morse fan ever since I've seen him in The Rock (and of course Green Mile) and later in his guest appearance in House. This role has obviously been more challenging, as the character of "the father" is supposed to invoke both empathy and disgust. Rain Wilson also does a great job as "the stranger". However, as always, I've been most impressed with young Jared Breeze as "the boy". It's alway lovely seeing talent at such a young age! His character is nonchalant, unexcited, and unimpressed, just as it should be.

The Boy doesn't show you a sociopath on a killing spree. It shows you a human being, or better phrased - a sociopath attempting to fake humanity. Even during times of extreme emotion, Breeze's body language shows that he's doing what he's "supposed" to do as a human being. Whether he's happy, frustrated, having fun or throwing a fit - it seems he's always feeling 50% less than we would, especially as children.

The Boy is a psychological film, not a thriller, definitely not Horror. Towards the ending, when the darkest sides of the characters unfold, the story becomes a lot more compelling as we are exposed to the gravity of the conclusion due to the turn of events. I can honestly say I was deeply impressed with Craig William Macneill's creation here, but did not really enjoy it. This is a film for "thinkers" and cinema students, and I simply wanted a good scare.

Works for a thriller, or a drama.

[Patient444 · 5/10 · 26 February 2016]

I gave it 5 stars, I would have went for 6 but if I consider it a horror, it has way too little to offer.

The plot is smarter than I thought, has a deep level, it surely takes its time with us, but it goes there and it concludes the story in a good way. The acting was OK, not so great coming from the kid but the rest of the cast was class A. Of course the motel part, well that is more of an American thing right there, cause it's hard for others to see how that could work or be for real. You'll see what I'm talking about once you see the movie.

Other aspects? Well it sure has its disturbing moments, the building towards the climax is well done, the ending is satisfying. But I would always recommend |The Good Son over this.

Cheers!