The Boy

...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.

The reviewers who disliked this movie didn't understand it. It's more European in its pacing and story arc, not for the simple-minded or those who do no outside reading. It is the best movie I've yet seen on the genesis of a sociopath and murderer, but it'a "quiet" film and assumes the viewer may know at least SOMEthing about one of the biggest topics of the last 50 years, serial murderers, and how they got that way. This boy has no guidance or love, his father is too wounded to notice or be of any real help. David Morse is always good, and Rainn Wilson's performance was revelatory.

I liked The Boy and have been recommending it to people I know who will "get" it. It gave me the creeps.

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.

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.

Brilliant acting and a near accurate portrayal of the development of a psychopath

I 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.