The Boy (2015)

Wonderful Movie

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

So,The Boy,no,not The Boy where the creepy doll comes to life,that's actually a good movie. This...this is not. So,The Boy is about a nine year old boy who's fascination from killing grows more and more from ferrets,deer's and rabbits..to people. So,I don't really have to much to say about this film,this could possibly be like the smallest review I've ever done,but The Boy,is not a very good film,I love the idea it's like,maybe,The Good Son or Orphan except,this is just nothing,the film is just about a boy,who lives with his father who owns a motel in the middle of nowhere and ehhhh,yeah? He develops this thing for killing,OK. The kid actor actually,though in this,was probably the best thing in the entire thing,his performance,was brilliant,considering he never barley even acted by the look of it,he deserves like an Emmy or something. The Boy,may have a good performance,but,ugh!,nothing new..

People have described this as a horror, but I agree with Rainn Wilson's description, in the special features. It is a psychological drama and a character study. It looks at the effects of loneliness and isolation on a disparate father and his nine year old son (the boy of the title). The story is an acute observation of what can happen to a family when it loses its gravitational centre, and then loses its footing. The setting is a remote and deserted Motel, much like the one in Baghdad Café or Tender Mercies. Unlike the former, there is no fuel here to be ignited by a spark of magic. Unlike the latter, there is no redemption for the lost soul. There is just pervading flatness, and a sense of tumbleweed. The quality and leanness of the writing and acting draw you along with morbid fascination

Brilliant acting and a near accurate portrayal of the development of a psychopathI watched this film by accident (thinking it was another film with the same title) and was drawn into the story from the very first shot.This is a film that has been crafted - a rarity in US film making nowadays. Each shot carefully considered and in tune with the development of the characters as we get to understand their story and who they are.I am not a fan of child actors, many of whom fall short of portraying strong characters. This kid in this film (Jared Breeze) is definitely an exception. His portrayal of the boy is natural, believable, and very, very strong.The other actors are just as strong, which brings us a well rounded interaction between them that is as realistic as it could be without being there.It is a film you have to watch - and not glance at occasionally. The story and the cinematography do the rest to make this one of the best films I have seen in a long time.

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.