Craig William Macneill delivers a new spin on mainstream horror with The Boy, a psychological thriller centered around a 9 year old sociopath.
Ted Henley (Jared Breeze) lives with his dad, John (David Morse), in an isolated desert town, running the only motel in the area. Ted has learned to develop an interest for claiming roadkill as a means to divert himself from boredom, but his hobby takes a turn for the worst when he attracts a deer and creates a car accident in the process. We learn that Ted’s unstable childhood has resulted in abnormal behaviors, he is not able to channel his emotions and therefore takes unconventional actions. This is delivered throughout the movie, albeit excessive.
As Mr. Colby’s (Rainn Wilson) car is totaled, he stays at the motel to recover. At this point, the introduction of a new character fails to elevate the suspense or dramatic tension in the film as the audience is obliged to learn more about Ted’s narrative (which seems to be never-ending). Shortly after, a family stops along the motel en route for their road trip. And again, the storyline disappoints in developing interest as the narrative grows longer and longer.
Although there are points of heightened tension, for example, in Ted’s fit of rage in stomping a chicken to death, the lengthy frame of each sequence fail to balance out for a heartrending experience. Though, stylistically, the film takes good direction in musicality and in its pictorial shooting. In addition, The Boy isn’t horror for just for the sake of being cynic, it instills morally provoking sentiments making the film somewhat redeeming to watch – if you have the free time that is.
The film is now playing.