Film Review | The Boy | From The Couch

Released: 2016
Starring: Lauren Cohan, Rupert Evans, Jim Norton, Diana Hardcastle, Ben Robson
Director: William Brent Bell
Produced by: STX Entertainment, Lakeshore Entertainment, Vertigo Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (UK 15)

“Every child needs to feel loved.”

It is very rare my mother sees a horror film before I do. Horror is her least favourite genre, so when she goes digging through films on a lazy Sunday she never lands in the bottomless cavern that is Netflix’s collection of horror films. This one, however, caught her eye. Perhaps it was the creepy doll that was blatantly pasted on the advert on the Netflix home screen that peaked her curiosity as she scrolled. Certainly, when I went looking for it, that image grabbed me right away. There’s something cool about creepy children’s toys that always catch my attention.

She raved about this movie for two weeks before I watched it, so I went into the film thinking that it had to be interesting or at least have more plot than a mindless ‘haunted doll’ flick, and I was correct. The Boy starts out in the English countryside. We meet Greta (Lauren Cohan, Batman v Superman) – a young American girl who’s taken a job as a nanny to get away from her old life. Immediately she runs into Malcolm – the grocery delivery guy – who warns her (vaguely) that the family she’s gone to work for is a little odd. Two seconds later we find out the child she’s been hired to care for isn’t a child at all – he’s a doll.

As soon as this is revealed, my mind went to all the instances where I’ve seen this trope used. It’s reminiscent of Norman Bates’ relationship with his mother in Psycho and, more recently, echoes one of the characters in the British horror-comedy Psychoville. I also thought of the possibility that the doll could end up more like Anabelle from the Conjuring franchise or even the ventriloquist dummies from the Twilight Zone episode ‘The Dummy’. In short, there’s a lot you can do with haunted dolls, but not a lot that hasn’t been done before.

The Boy took a few turns I wasn’t expecting, however. The protagonist makes some calls that are completely against what I expected, she also makes more logical choices than most horror-movie matrons tend to. Seeing as there aren’t many jumpscares, and not very much gore, I’d say this movie constitutes more as a ‘psychological thriller’ than a true horror film. I love movies that make it difficult for me to figure out the ending, but aren’t so confusing that I can’t follow along. The little details in this movie don’t seem hidden, but many of them end up leading the audience to the wrong conclusion – one that could be viable in a film like this, but that isn’t what’s really going on.

The end of the film takes a turn that is extremely reminiscent of one of my favourite Wes Craven films, but I won’t say which one. I was taken completely by surprise when the twist was revealed, so much so that I actually clapped and let out an audible, “No way!”. The beginning of the movie was a little slow, but it dropped enough hints and the action got rolling fast enough that I found myself entertained the entire time and curious to know what happened next.

Rating:

Fool on the Hill:

I’d give this movie three and a half popcorns. I think horror-film buffs would really enjoy The Boy! The acting is good, the shooting location (Craigdarroch Castle in British Columbia) is gorgeous and creepy which made the perfect setting, and the story is multifaceted and interesting. I enjoyed it immensely, but I can see how some real horror fans might find it a little lacking in action.

Jack Savage:

This movie has some good elements to it, creepy atmosphere, sinister looking doll, endearing lead, but it takes a while before it really becomes entertaining. By the time the credits rolled, the film left me feeling satisfied, but also that more could’ve been done to amp up the terror. The Boy is a mediocre horror film at best.