iBoy

"This is your phone. Did it miss all the important bits? Well, it's a brain, so we tend to think of all of it as quite important."

Every now and then I watch a movie and afterwards I can't decide whether it's good or bad. "iBoy" is such a movie. I thought the initial idea was fascinating. The fact that Tom (Bill "Broken" Milner), got a bullet through his head, while fleeing from robbers, and his iPhone (which he was using while contacting 911) was shot into smithereens and fragments ended up in his brain, was in itself a original starting point. The result afterwards is that, thanks to the advanced technology of iPhone, he's able to make mental contact with communication networks and information technology stuff. Isn't that breeding ground for an entertaining movie? But the moment he demonstrates how he controls a Volkswagen Golf remotely and uses the built-in radio to speak too the passengers, it was a bridge too far. As he takes control over any electronic device, it started to feel a bit absurd.

If however you manage to forget about that and you won't concentrate on the nonsensical content (as a result the nonsense-level decreases slightly), you'll get an entertaining film about a sort of superhero (without the obligatory superhero outfit) who takes revenge on those who assaulted Lucy (Maisie Williams), the girl he has a soft spot for. Tom soon discovers that some local thugs are behind this. And thanks to his high-tech capabilities he starts making their life difficult. The images he sees because of his newly gained powers, have a sort of "The Matrix" appearance. And slowly we see how the fairly timid and introverted Tom changes into a confident and resolute avenger who's not one to be trifled with. The instruction video on YouTube that suddenly transforms Tom into a trained practitioner of the martial arts, is again such a ridiculous event you should forget about real soon. Just making sure it won't spoil the fun.

"IBoy" is a mixture of different genres. Besides the superhero theme, there's also a social tinged drama about less well-off citizens with youngsters choosing to follow the criminal path. The overall picture includes some intimidating loiterers who spend their free time with committing small crimes. Their habitat is also in stark contrast with the magnificent buildings opposite their drab apartment buildings which rise like minarets between the futuristic looking luxury apartments where the yuppies of London live. And finally there is a romantic part with Tom and Lucy growing close to each other because of the incident. These three sub-genres were intelligently intertwined.

Initially, I expected some sort of teen SF (something like "Project Almanac") after reading its contents. And certainly the choice of a childish superhero name, paved the way for that thought. So, with some skepticism I started watching this movie. But as the story progressed, my suspicion vanished and I could only conclude that the end result was ultimately successful. And not only because of the stunning images of this metropolis and its nightly illuminations. Also the performances captivated me. Bill Milner really looked like a nerd and was sometimes too timid, but he excels in this role. Rory Kinnear's contribution is rather limited, but in those few minutes he came across as a cold-blooded and determined criminal you shouldn't underestimate. But especially Maisie Williams steals the show as the vulnerable and traumatized Lucy. What a beautiful performance. I only hope, no one will come up with the idea to make a film adaptation of someone whose PS4 exploded besides him. Or God forbid, an e-cig detonated in someones pocket. I can already imagine how this movie would look like.

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Boy, a cyber-technical thriller, delivers an engaging plot but falters in its execution when it comes to scientific reasoning, which could have elevated the movie's credibility and depth. The story revolves around a teenager, Tom (played by Bill Milner), who gains extraordinary abilities after a freak accident involving fragments of a smartphone embedded in his brain. While the premise is unique and intriguing, the lack of a solid scientific explanation for Tom's newfound powers feels like a missed opportunity. This shortfall leaves some viewers, especially those with an interest in technology and science, yearning for a more plausible narrative.

On the performance front, Maisie Williams shines as Lucy, a character who adds emotional depth and vulnerability to the story. Her portrayal is compelling, showcasing her range as an actress and making her character one of the highlights of the film. Bill Milner as Tom also delivers a commendable performance, convincingly portraying a teenager grappling with newfound powers and the moral dilemmas that come with them. His nuanced performance keeps the audience invested in his journey.

However, the movie's climax is where it stumbles the most. The resolution lacks the surprise or twists typical of thrillers, making the ending somewhat predictable. For a film that builds up tension and stakes throughout, the straightforward conclusion feels underwhelming. This predictability detracts from the overall impact, leaving viewers wishing for a more gripping finale.

Despite its flaws, iBoy is an engaging watch. The concept is fresh, the performances are strong, and the pacing keeps the audience hooked. For fans of cyber-related stories and those who appreciate solid acting, it's worth a watch. However, for those seeking a more scientifically grounded or twist-filled narrative, the film might fall short.

Rating: 6/10 While iBoy has its moments of brilliance, its inability to fully capitalize on its premise and its predictable climax prevent it from becoming a standout in the genre. Still, its engaging narrative and strong performances make it an enjoyable experience overall.

Let me be clear about something, I have a bias generally against British cinema as it usually focuses on things I don't find appealing and features a cast I cannot abide. Within British cinema you very commonly have the "Estate" movies and that's what this is, putting it at an even further disadvantage with me.

It tells the story of a young man who after being shot in the head and having his mobile phone splinter into his skull gains the ability to control digital devices. Arguably it's comparable with Watchdogs (2014) and that's a good thing.

Starring the adorable diminutive Maisie "Arya Stark" Williams and Miranda Richardson it has a passable cast considering the "Estate" aspect and we see our hero battling against the local gang and their powerful bosses.

In movies like this they have the habit of casting obnoxious pretty boy guy types to play the lead whereas here Bill Milner avoids that and comes across likeable and endearing for the most part. As a lead female Williams is good but I was left feeling they didn't do enough with her. Then we have Rory Kinnear as our antagonist who I'm unfamiliar with yet after this incredible performance will keep an eye out for in future movies.

iBoy by all rights could have been better, the concept felt a tad wasted, it perhaps could have done with an additional 30+ minutes and the finale was a total anti-climatic bust.

Regardless I enjoyed iBoy despite a host of reasons on paper why I really shouldn't have. Enjoyable stuff, especially if you go in without preconceptions.

The Good:

Maisie Williams and Rory Kinnear

A fitting lead

The Bad:

Doesn't utilize it's concept very well

Poor finale

In a gang ridden area of London, teenager Tom Harvey (Bill Milner) finally gets the opportunity to approach his crush Lucy Walker (Maisie Williams) and the two arrange a study session later that evening. When Tom arrives, he finds the door broken and a gang of figures having assaulted and raped Lucy. One of the gang shoots tom in the head and fragments of Tom's iPhone become embedded in his brain. With Lucy still in shock from her trauma and Tom feeling guilty for having fled, Tom tries to be there for Lucy while also harboring rage for the gang who assaulted her. Eventually Tom sees projections of IT data coming from surrounding electronics and discovers he can hack into these devices and even overload them. Using this power, Tom discovers the identity of one of the gang members from the assault and uses his powers to embark on a crusade of vigilante justice against the gang from the bottom up as the hacker vigilante IBoy.

IBoy is a 2017 adaptation of the Kevin Brooks YA novel of the same name. The screenplay was adapted by Joe Barton who had previously created the BBC period drama Our World War, and written some episodes for the Channel 4 sci-fi drama Humans. The film marks the second directorial feature of Adam Randall following his 2016 film Level Up. At its core the movie is a basic vigilante film with an absurd tech/quasi-superhero element to it, but provided you can swallow the film's rather outlandish premise it delivers exactly what you expect from a film like this.

The movie features two solid leads in Bill Milner as Tom Harvey/iBoy and Maisie Williams as Lucy Walker respectively. The two have a natural chemistry that comes through in their interactions and you buy into their relationship because they convey so much richness to their interactions. While like many vigilante movies Lucy's rape is a catalyst for Tom to go on a rampage, Lucy is given more agency here than Carol Kersey for example from Death Wish who spent the film catatonic so she was pretty much a non-entity while Paul went on his rampage. While the standards for women roles in these types of movies are a pretty low bar with films like Ms.45, I Spit on Your Grave, or Billy Jack being the only examples I can think of to try make a statement about rape (whether it was successful or not will vary by POV), iBoy does okay with the topic and it does give Lucy's character a cathartic scene to confront her pathetic attackers despite still bogged down by the inherent baggage that comes with the subgenre.

The real selling point for any vigilante film is the vigilantism and assuming you can look past the very silly explanation for Tom's hacker wizard powers, the gimmick does lend itself to some creative sequences of Tom/iBoy messing with these hateful gangs and drug dealers and Adam Randall does keep the film visually interesting emphasizing the steel and glass of modern London with the cyber gimmick of AR overlays being pretty entertaining and reasonably well integrated. The movie does drag a bit in its climax with the ultimate confrontation of the gang's leader with our protagonists but despite not being as entertaining as the other scenes it is sold by the performers and Maisie Williams gets some solid opportunities to showcase her acting prowess.

IBoy is your basic vigilante movie with a modern gimmick tapping into the cultural zeitgeist of technological creep and modern gritty superhero tropes. Bill Milner and Maisie Williams both give good performances and have solid chemistry and keep the film engaging. While the movie taps into the expected tropes of the subgenre (including those regarding women) it does try to address issues rather than sweep them aside like so many others in the subgenre. If you like vigilante films you'll find plenty of moments to enjoy as iBoy messes with these gangs and drug dealers in entertainingly violent fashion.

This movie has a lot of good qualities. A largely unknown cast come together nicely, and the cinematography, special effects and score are all very well done.

The story as a concept is pretty simple, and in the early stages of the movie things were looking very promising and I was enjoying it a lot. As the movie reaches its climax things began to run out of steam and a few unnecessary writing decisions opened up a number of plot holes which had me scratching my head at times. This movie didn't require the big ending it went for. Some more subtle twists and craft would have taken it to the next level and I can't help but thinking some big opportunities were missed.

Regardless, much of this movie is highly enjoyable and entertaining. I've certainly seen similar concepts executed far worse.