The Boy is about an American woman who comes to an isolated British house to care for an elderly couple’s eight-year old son, a porcelain doll. If I starred in The Boy, and it was a documentary, it would have lasted about 5 minutes. I would have decided that either they were crazy or the doll was possessed by a demon then left. Because Lauren Cohan of The Walking Dead is in The Boy, and it is so over the top nuts, you will have fun watching it if you love the absurdity and can get carried away like Cohan’s character.
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If that premise isn’t enough, imagine if the elderly mother looked down on you and acted as if you were incompetent, ignorant trash. Who are you to judge? You are either driven bonkers by grief or serving Satan. And why is that British couple acting like they are straight from the 1950s? You were young enough to have a kid in 1983! You are a bunch of poseurs. If that isn’t enough, this poor woman is asked to hold the gum of the first guy that she meets as he awkwardly discusses procreation. It is nice to meet you too, weirdo. Let’s unpack the groceries with your saliva on our hands.
There are two elements that make The Boy somewhat plausible. First, she has a crazy ex. Second, she recently miscarried a child so it ends up being weirdly therapeutic that she can care for a kid, and she made some bizarre supernatural connection where the kid just knows that she would be suitable. It is extremely validating except the kid is a PORCELAIN DOLL THAT YOU THINK CAN MOVE!!!!
I’m not going to lie. I thought there were two possibilities. The grocer was Brahms, but had a split personality. OR the doll was really possessed. I was surprised by the twist, especially after the psycho ex did what he did AND THE WHOLE HOUSE SHOOK AND THE MIRROR ERUPTED!!! How did the entire house shake if it isn’t supernatural? What is happening? WHAT!?! I had to rewind to appreciate the twist and the bearded masked Henry Cavill appearance (just kidding, it wasn’t Cavill, and the beard was messy, but fixable). Also it was pretty awesome to watch The Boy soon after Anomalisa.
Basically The Boy succeeded where The Intruders failed. Unlike The Intruders, all the signs were there, and The Boy totally got me. You win! I love a good bad horror movie, and The Boy exceeded all my low expectations.