This movie was a great CREEPY movie. Not intensely terrifying, and that was not the purpose. Dolls are creepy and therefore a movie about a doll is supposed to be creepy and this movie nailed it. A lot of people complain about the ending, some say that they don't like how it wasn't actually the doll being possessed by a spirit, and I've even read some reviews from some.... Not very smart people.... Who somehow totally missed the fact that the man was the "dead" boy. He killed a little girl when he was 8. His parents were ashamed, hid him in the walls, and I believe they created doll to replace their "odd" boy. They locked the real guy up, never saw him, fed him through the walls, he had a bunch of holes he made over time that led to the inside of the house. The parents were scared of him too, so they made sure to comply with all his requests: loud music so he can hear it behind the walls. Living in isolation for 20 years behind the walls would obviously drive someone intensely mad, not to mention he was odd to start out with. Obsessive, creepy, weird. The doll was his creepy way of being loved and accepted by his parents, and as he hoped, by a woman. So he lived through the doll for 20 years. It's the story of an isolated family with a dark secret, an even more isolated and insane man who just wanted to be loved, and lived through the more lovable and accepted doll, and was murderous against anyone who rejected him. Creepy. And successful. Anyone who dislikes this movie probably wanted super scary, and it did have a couple scary moments, or they wanted poltergeist chuckie demon doll, which no offense, but that is silly. It makes it way more cool for it to not be paranormal but just a really f'ed up family in the middle of nowhere.
452 Reviews
Surprisingly Good
claudio_carvalho9 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers
After the traumatic separation of her boyfriend Cole (Ben Robson), the American Greta Evans (Lauren Cohan) flees to London. She is hired by Mrs. Heelshire (Diana Hardcastle) and Mr. Heelshire (Jim Norton) to be the nanny of their beloved son Brahms. Greta travels to an old and isolated manor in the countryside and is welcomed by the old couple. She receives rules to be followed and when she is introduced to Brahms, she realizes that he is a doll. Soon Mr. And Mrs. Heelshire travel on vacation and Greta befriends the delivery boy Malcolm (Rupert Evans). When she decides to give no attention to the doll, weird things happen and Greta believes there is a spirit trapped in the doll. Is she losing her sanity?
"The Boy" is a good surprise of the horror genre. The Brazilian title induces the viewer to believe that "The Boy" would be a rip-off Chucky, but it is not. Despite the flawed story that does not explains how the eight year-boy Brahms has survived and grow-up alone, the film entertains. Last but not the least, it is always great to see Lauren "Maggie" Cohan on the screen. My vote is seven.
Title (Brail): "Boneco do Mal" ("Doll of Evil")
"The Boy" is a good surprise of the horror genre. The Brazilian title induces the viewer to believe that "The Boy" would be a rip-off Chucky, but it is not. Despite the flawed story that does not explains how the eight year-boy Brahms has survived and grow-up alone, the film entertains. Last but not the least, it is always great to see Lauren "Maggie" Cohan on the screen. My vote is seven.
Title (Brail): "Boneco do Mal" ("Doll of Evil")
Entertaining but Definitely Flawed
eabra484633 February 2016
"The Boy" presents us with an interesting premise from the start. A young American woman takes a job as a nanny to an elderly couple's child in Britain. Only when she gets to their large, creepy mansion does she learn the "boy" is really a doll that the couple treats as if it is alive and their son. Much of what ensues after this is fairly predictable. We know the doll is going to end up doing creepy things, or at least we'll be led to believe this is the case. We also know there will be something more going on than what meets the eye. Lauren Cohan does a very good job, which is essential because she has to carry most of the movie. Many scenes are with her and the doll alone. Also, the setting and the doll itself do a great job of creating the mood. The film does well at holding the viewer's attention; however, once we see the final "twist" we understand that it was really the only reasonable explanation--although it is really not all that reasonable. There are a few scenes where the dialog and impact fall a little flat. I recommend the film to those who really like this genre, because there is enough there to make it worthwhile; however, do not expect a masterpiece.
a horror movie with more originality than usual
CineMuseFilms31 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
If you are looking for a horror movie with more originality than usual this may be your film. Most horrors are standard genre films that rely on cinema clichés to frighten us and audiences have become immune to plots with spooky dolls, isolated nannies and scary mansions. The Boy (2016) stands out by combining all of these horror tropes into a single story then overlays them with a plausible thriller about parental grief. It tries to be a serious film without the lame humour which so often sugar-coats horror movies into comedy-thrillers. But the downside is also typical of the genre: it runs out of ideas on how to finish the job.
Greta (Lauren Cohan) is fleeing a bad relationship and applies for a nanny job caring for an 8-year old. She arrives at an isolated mansion in the English countryside and the child turns out to be a life-size doll called Brahms. The older couple's son died in mysterious circumstances twenty years earlier and Brahms is their way of dealing with unresolved grief. The creepy parents abruptly depart for an extended holiday, leaving Greta with strict instructions on how to care for Brahms. At first she ignores Brahms but soon weird things happen like the doll changes position and strange sounds echo through the house. Greta is alone and terrified until she befriends the local grocery guy Malcolm, but all hell breaks loose when the violent ex-boyfriend turns up unexpectedly. Poor Brahms becomes the unwanted child in some high-tension scenes but predictably the doll gets its revenge.
Although not a great fan of horrors, this one kept me engaged until the final quarter where a tired old stock-standard formula is used to tie the narrative ends together. Until then, the film maintains a menacing Gothic atmosphere and enough surprises to keep you guessing what will happen next. Lauren Cohan is well cast as Greta and the story moves along at a lively pace. If you are not willing to suspend disbelief and go along with the story premise, you are unlikely to see it through and you are probably not a horror fan anyway. A good test if it will work on you is to grab a toy doll and stare into its eyes; if your mind can fantasise it staring back at you with malicious intent, you pass and should see The Boy.
Greta (Lauren Cohan) is fleeing a bad relationship and applies for a nanny job caring for an 8-year old. She arrives at an isolated mansion in the English countryside and the child turns out to be a life-size doll called Brahms. The older couple's son died in mysterious circumstances twenty years earlier and Brahms is their way of dealing with unresolved grief. The creepy parents abruptly depart for an extended holiday, leaving Greta with strict instructions on how to care for Brahms. At first she ignores Brahms but soon weird things happen like the doll changes position and strange sounds echo through the house. Greta is alone and terrified until she befriends the local grocery guy Malcolm, but all hell breaks loose when the violent ex-boyfriend turns up unexpectedly. Poor Brahms becomes the unwanted child in some high-tension scenes but predictably the doll gets its revenge.
Although not a great fan of horrors, this one kept me engaged until the final quarter where a tired old stock-standard formula is used to tie the narrative ends together. Until then, the film maintains a menacing Gothic atmosphere and enough surprises to keep you guessing what will happen next. Lauren Cohan is well cast as Greta and the story moves along at a lively pace. If you are not willing to suspend disbelief and go along with the story premise, you are unlikely to see it through and you are probably not a horror fan anyway. A good test if it will work on you is to grab a toy doll and stare into its eyes; if your mind can fantasise it staring back at you with malicious intent, you pass and should see The Boy.
Creepy doll movie is pretty effective at what it does
Leofwine_draca24 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
THE BOY is another example of the creepy/subtle/old-fashioned 'ghost story' genre that is now back in vogue with the likes of THE CONJURING, SINISTER, and the INSIDIOUS movies. These go back-to-basics in their approach, eschewing gore effects for more old-fashioned jump scares and general foreboding and creepiness. I find them slightly overrated - the older classics of the genre such as THE UNINVITED and THE HAUNTING are by default much better - but THE BOY is one of the better ones of recent years.
It helps that the story is fresh and simple. The photography is good, with Canadian standing in well for olde England. WALKING DEAD star Lauren Cohan brings her typical understated professionalism to the part of a nanny employed to look after the son of an elderly couple who discovers that the son is in fact a life size doll. Yes, it's creepy doll time again, and while I didn't find the doll in the least bit scary here, at least it looks suitably effective.
The setting is a decent one and Cohan keeps you watching without going over the top. Some of the roles, such as Rupert Evans playing the random love interest, are pretty clichéd. THE BOY is notable for featuring a massive plot twist at the climax which turns the whole story on its head, but I didn't mind it too much; it's not how I would have seen things play out had I written the thing, but it's done quite effectively here.
It helps that the story is fresh and simple. The photography is good, with Canadian standing in well for olde England. WALKING DEAD star Lauren Cohan brings her typical understated professionalism to the part of a nanny employed to look after the son of an elderly couple who discovers that the son is in fact a life size doll. Yes, it's creepy doll time again, and while I didn't find the doll in the least bit scary here, at least it looks suitably effective.
The setting is a decent one and Cohan keeps you watching without going over the top. Some of the roles, such as Rupert Evans playing the random love interest, are pretty clichéd. THE BOY is notable for featuring a massive plot twist at the climax which turns the whole story on its head, but I didn't mind it too much; it's not how I would have seen things play out had I written the thing, but it's done quite effectively here.
Not what you might think it to be - for better or for worse.
nitzanhavoc16 June 2016
It is somewhat difficult for me to explain my viewing experience of this film, and in no way do I mean to sound condescending of uppity, so kindly bear with me... Usually, after years of "experience" with a certain hobby, one is able to differentiate objective criticism from lack of personal satisfaction. For me, The Boy is a perfect example, so I'll make sure to separate my personal opinions from what I perceive to be the makings of a fine Horror film.
I've always been a big fan of the Supernatural sub-genre, with a special liking to films portraying evil dolls (films like Dead Silence or Annabelle, NOT Chucky). After watching the trailer for The Boy several months ago, I've been eagerly anticipating its release. As presented in the teasers, the story is original and well told (hats off to screenwriter Stacey Menear), and the jump-scares (while still cheap) are sufficiently few and well made to add the occasional scare without damaging the experience. Music and cinematography are great, as is the acting (especially supporting actors Jim Norton and Diana Hardcastle as Mr. and Mrs. Hillshire).
Now for my problem... the plot twist is smart, surprising and in no way predictable (although some of you might have guessed it from the start, I personally was impressed). It adds a stroke of genius creativity and originality to an otherwise all too known pattern of a film. I just didn't like it... it felt too original, like trying to reinvent the wheel when the wheel works just fine. Objectively - great twist, great ending! In my opinion? A let down.
All in all, the eerie sense of suspense and fear is maintained throughout the entire film, and I would definitely recommend it to other "supernatural dolls" fans. However, personally, I couldn't help but feeling it was ultimately a let-down, and I wouldn't watch it again.
I've always been a big fan of the Supernatural sub-genre, with a special liking to films portraying evil dolls (films like Dead Silence or Annabelle, NOT Chucky). After watching the trailer for The Boy several months ago, I've been eagerly anticipating its release. As presented in the teasers, the story is original and well told (hats off to screenwriter Stacey Menear), and the jump-scares (while still cheap) are sufficiently few and well made to add the occasional scare without damaging the experience. Music and cinematography are great, as is the acting (especially supporting actors Jim Norton and Diana Hardcastle as Mr. and Mrs. Hillshire).
Now for my problem... the plot twist is smart, surprising and in no way predictable (although some of you might have guessed it from the start, I personally was impressed). It adds a stroke of genius creativity and originality to an otherwise all too known pattern of a film. I just didn't like it... it felt too original, like trying to reinvent the wheel when the wheel works just fine. Objectively - great twist, great ending! In my opinion? A let down.
All in all, the eerie sense of suspense and fear is maintained throughout the entire film, and I would definitely recommend it to other "supernatural dolls" fans. However, personally, I couldn't help but feeling it was ultimately a let-down, and I wouldn't watch it again.
Why aren't you following the rules?
nogodnomasters18 December 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Greta Evans (Lauren Cohan) is hired to care for Brahms at the Heelshire estate. She is surprised to discover Brahams is a doll. The Heelshires go on a holiday and leave Great by herself to take of said doll with a strict set of rules. Greta violates the rules and to her surprise the doll rebels as things and the doll don't stay where they were placed. Being overpaid, Greta develops a relationship with the doll. Malcolm (Rupert Evans) stops by to deliver the groceries and we discover Greta is leaving a bad relationship.
The film had that same eerie factor of a doll moving that we, the audience has come to expect from Chucky to Robert to Puppetmaster to Annabelle. In that regard only Greta was surprised when the doll moved from one place to another. For much of the film, we were subjected to the been there, done that feeling. It wasn't until the last 10-12 minutes that the film grew and I started to love it.
Makes for a good rental.
Guide: Not much swearing. No sex or nudity.
The film had that same eerie factor of a doll moving that we, the audience has come to expect from Chucky to Robert to Puppetmaster to Annabelle. In that regard only Greta was surprised when the doll moved from one place to another. For much of the film, we were subjected to the been there, done that feeling. It wasn't until the last 10-12 minutes that the film grew and I started to love it.
Makes for a good rental.
Guide: Not much swearing. No sex or nudity.
Highly entertaining but fundamentally uneven and flawed, "The Boy" is a mish-mash of ideas that are fun to watch, but don't quite come together...
TedStixonAKAMaximumMadness6 February 2016
You ever watch a film, and at a certain point, you get the feeling that the final product is obviously a heavily edited (if not outright- butchered) re-working and simplification of an otherwise great idea? Like a studio-suit-type got their hands on a really cool and original script that defied convention... but then that same studio- suit got cold feet, and had a legion of ghost- writers re-work it into something more generic and "audience friendly"?
Yup. That's the feeling I got watching "The Boy."
Don't get me wrong, there's still fun to be had. And despite its rather obvious faults, I was thoroughly entertained and had a good time. It's just... so obviously a great concept that feels like it's been tampered with by studio committees and producer interference to dumb it down to certain level that can only be described as "lowest common denominator." At times I could even swear that the film feels like it was the product of two or three different scripts that were haphazardly mushed together in a last- ditch effort to try and make it more of a broadly-appealing (aka "generic") thriller than a unique spine- tingler.
The film follows Greta (the adorable Lauren Cohan), an American woman who has been hired to act as nanny for a prim and proper older couple's child overseas in the UK. However, Greta is taken aback after learning that the "boy" is actually a child-sized doll that is treated by his "parents" as if he was a real, living being. He's fed and taught lessons and kissed goodnight... a routine Greta is informed she must definitely follow. But when she begins to stray and ignore the rules set for her, strange things begin to happen, and it becomes all too clear that the doll might just be more "real" and "alive" than she could have imagined.
The film works for the most part mainly due to the charm of the two lead cast-members, and for the well-executed visual storytelling.
Cohan is a lot of fun as our lead, and she's a great choice for the role of Greta... she's able to convey her initial annoyance over her situation, the paranoia of her character as the story progresses, and even has a lot of really good pathos due to her fairly good development and backstory. And co-star Rupert Evans (probably best known for his roles in the delightful "Hellboy" and the underrated "The Canal") is charming as can be as Malcolm, a local grocery man who delivers food to the home and develops feelings for Greta as the story progresses. They're the main focus for much of the running time of the film, and they're both perfect in their roles, creating a lot of care from the audience.
Director William Brent Bell also does a wonderful job in his visual storytelling, and he elevates the material. I honestly haven't been a fan of his work in the past... "Stay Alive" was a lazy and very condescending attempt to cash-in on the growing popularity of video-games over the last 20 years. And "The Devil Inside" was a terrible mis-judgement, with its infamous final act still viewed as a low- point in the world of horror. But here, Bell is actually able to get a lot of great work done, and show he does have the chops to make a good creep-fest if he really puts his mind to it. He revels in the atmospheric visuals of the old, enormous house and nearby woods. He glides the camera organically in slow, lingering shots that are a breath of fresh-air compared to the lousy "shaky cam" nonsense polluting other horror flicks. And he even for the most part strays away from relying too much on loud jumps and noises. I particularly admired a wonderful sequence where Greta tries to demonstrate to Malcolm that the doll can move on its own... great stuff there.
It's just a shame that the film is dragged down so badly due to its issues with the script and storyline.
Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised that if at one point in development, the film was more of a psychological drama about an emotionally damaged person forging a deep connection with an inanimate doll... because this film's best moments- and indeed the moments that feel the most complete and developed- are the sequences where Greta begins to learn about what's happening and become more and more attached to the idea that the doll just might be alive. It's wonderful in certain scenes, and it feels disturbing in all the right ways.
But then other sequences contradict this... particularly the scenes that play more as straight-forward horror. They feel like scenes out of a different film. And without spoiling it, the final act feels like it comes out of left-field in a very inorganic way... almost as if the climax from a completely different script was tacked-on and retro-fitted to feature the characters from this film. It almost gave me whiplash to see how much it changed in the third act.
If they had just ran with the idea of a woman in a house being forced to take care of a creepy doll like a real child, and explored the ideas of isolation and paranoia associated with the situation... it could've been a great film. (Almost a "horror version" of the wonderful indie flick "Lars and the Real Girl.") But the tacked-on scenes added to manufacture generic haunted-house thrills diminishes the impact... as does the frankly bizarre climax.
Still, the performances and atmospheric direction make it worth seeing for fans of horror, and I would by lying if I said I didn't get a kick out of it.
I give "The Boy" a slightly-above-average 6 out of 10. It doesn't quite come together 100%, but it's definitely a fun time.
Yup. That's the feeling I got watching "The Boy."
Don't get me wrong, there's still fun to be had. And despite its rather obvious faults, I was thoroughly entertained and had a good time. It's just... so obviously a great concept that feels like it's been tampered with by studio committees and producer interference to dumb it down to certain level that can only be described as "lowest common denominator." At times I could even swear that the film feels like it was the product of two or three different scripts that were haphazardly mushed together in a last- ditch effort to try and make it more of a broadly-appealing (aka "generic") thriller than a unique spine- tingler.
The film follows Greta (the adorable Lauren Cohan), an American woman who has been hired to act as nanny for a prim and proper older couple's child overseas in the UK. However, Greta is taken aback after learning that the "boy" is actually a child-sized doll that is treated by his "parents" as if he was a real, living being. He's fed and taught lessons and kissed goodnight... a routine Greta is informed she must definitely follow. But when she begins to stray and ignore the rules set for her, strange things begin to happen, and it becomes all too clear that the doll might just be more "real" and "alive" than she could have imagined.
The film works for the most part mainly due to the charm of the two lead cast-members, and for the well-executed visual storytelling.
Cohan is a lot of fun as our lead, and she's a great choice for the role of Greta... she's able to convey her initial annoyance over her situation, the paranoia of her character as the story progresses, and even has a lot of really good pathos due to her fairly good development and backstory. And co-star Rupert Evans (probably best known for his roles in the delightful "Hellboy" and the underrated "The Canal") is charming as can be as Malcolm, a local grocery man who delivers food to the home and develops feelings for Greta as the story progresses. They're the main focus for much of the running time of the film, and they're both perfect in their roles, creating a lot of care from the audience.
Director William Brent Bell also does a wonderful job in his visual storytelling, and he elevates the material. I honestly haven't been a fan of his work in the past... "Stay Alive" was a lazy and very condescending attempt to cash-in on the growing popularity of video-games over the last 20 years. And "The Devil Inside" was a terrible mis-judgement, with its infamous final act still viewed as a low- point in the world of horror. But here, Bell is actually able to get a lot of great work done, and show he does have the chops to make a good creep-fest if he really puts his mind to it. He revels in the atmospheric visuals of the old, enormous house and nearby woods. He glides the camera organically in slow, lingering shots that are a breath of fresh-air compared to the lousy "shaky cam" nonsense polluting other horror flicks. And he even for the most part strays away from relying too much on loud jumps and noises. I particularly admired a wonderful sequence where Greta tries to demonstrate to Malcolm that the doll can move on its own... great stuff there.
It's just a shame that the film is dragged down so badly due to its issues with the script and storyline.
Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised that if at one point in development, the film was more of a psychological drama about an emotionally damaged person forging a deep connection with an inanimate doll... because this film's best moments- and indeed the moments that feel the most complete and developed- are the sequences where Greta begins to learn about what's happening and become more and more attached to the idea that the doll just might be alive. It's wonderful in certain scenes, and it feels disturbing in all the right ways.
But then other sequences contradict this... particularly the scenes that play more as straight-forward horror. They feel like scenes out of a different film. And without spoiling it, the final act feels like it comes out of left-field in a very inorganic way... almost as if the climax from a completely different script was tacked-on and retro-fitted to feature the characters from this film. It almost gave me whiplash to see how much it changed in the third act.
If they had just ran with the idea of a woman in a house being forced to take care of a creepy doll like a real child, and explored the ideas of isolation and paranoia associated with the situation... it could've been a great film. (Almost a "horror version" of the wonderful indie flick "Lars and the Real Girl.") But the tacked-on scenes added to manufacture generic haunted-house thrills diminishes the impact... as does the frankly bizarre climax.
Still, the performances and atmospheric direction make it worth seeing for fans of horror, and I would by lying if I said I didn't get a kick out of it.
I give "The Boy" a slightly-above-average 6 out of 10. It doesn't quite come together 100%, but it's definitely a fun time.
quite possibly the most absurd twist that I've ever come across
Quinoa198412 February 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I'd like to start off by saying despite the 5 out of 10 rating, I do recommend this movie, for reasons that will be made clear if you decide to read this before seeing the movie...
For the first, I'd say, 75 minutes of The Boy, you think you know (or at least I did) where the filmmakers are taking you... sort of. It seems like a kind of mashing together of the sort of English rural-secluded countryside of an older horror film like The Innocents (and that's to the movie's credit), and the 'doll is here and what is it *doing*) of Child's Play. I'm sure there were some other influences for this work - one of which I didn't know about until I was told of it much later on social media - but this starts off as a kind of batty (in a good way) horror story about an older couple who leave a woman (Lauren Cohan) in charge of taking care of Broms: a little 8 year old boy who happens to also be a doll. And nevermind that he's a doll - he'll need lots of comfort and caring to, such as reading to Broms and making sure its tucked in at night and fed and played classical music and what the hell is going on here?!
This has an intriguing premise and I was kind of surprised by the quality of the filmmaking (at least for a January movie, when in recent memory you get schlock like The Devil Inside or even boring dreck like The Forest from the start of January), and the director and cinematographer and editor all pay attention to pacing and setting the mood and not really relying too heavily on jump scares, which are the death of horror cinema. There are a couple, but it's not the name of the game - it's more about 'where is Broms now, what is he doing, or what will Greta do next with this thing, and is it all in her mind?' It turns out the latter isn't true, and it seems like you can figure the movie out pretty easily...
And then the filmmakers do something that is absolutely bat-s*** insane and turn everything on its head in the dumbest way imaginable. As it turns out (and this why I clicked 'spoiler' at the top), the movie really takes a lot of inspiration from a *1970's TV movie* called Bad Ronald (unseen by me, nothing to do with McDonald's fyi), which has the plot description of a perverted teenage boy who lives in the walls of a house after being left behind by his parents (who die) finds new people move in. Um... OK, that may work for that movie, but in the case of The Boy, the reveal of who Broms really is, makes for the craziest logic that I've ever come across for a mainstream horror movie - it combats The Village if you can believe it - and yet it doesn't really earn the brainpower to go back and think 'wait, how does that connect to this and that and... damn it.'
It suddenly turns what's been a not great (there's one story hole with mail that I won't get into here) but interesting horror movie with a solid lead in Cohan into a nightmare. I don't mean that in any positive sense! In the last several minutes it turns into some later-period Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers flick, as Broms - the *real* Broms - has super-human strength despite living IN THE WALLS OF HIS HOUSE and still wears a Broms-doll mask over a hipster beard. It's so insane that you can't turn away, despite the jaw dropping past the floor and down the aisles to the bottom of the theater.
For the first, I'd say, 75 minutes of The Boy, you think you know (or at least I did) where the filmmakers are taking you... sort of. It seems like a kind of mashing together of the sort of English rural-secluded countryside of an older horror film like The Innocents (and that's to the movie's credit), and the 'doll is here and what is it *doing*) of Child's Play. I'm sure there were some other influences for this work - one of which I didn't know about until I was told of it much later on social media - but this starts off as a kind of batty (in a good way) horror story about an older couple who leave a woman (Lauren Cohan) in charge of taking care of Broms: a little 8 year old boy who happens to also be a doll. And nevermind that he's a doll - he'll need lots of comfort and caring to, such as reading to Broms and making sure its tucked in at night and fed and played classical music and what the hell is going on here?!
This has an intriguing premise and I was kind of surprised by the quality of the filmmaking (at least for a January movie, when in recent memory you get schlock like The Devil Inside or even boring dreck like The Forest from the start of January), and the director and cinematographer and editor all pay attention to pacing and setting the mood and not really relying too heavily on jump scares, which are the death of horror cinema. There are a couple, but it's not the name of the game - it's more about 'where is Broms now, what is he doing, or what will Greta do next with this thing, and is it all in her mind?' It turns out the latter isn't true, and it seems like you can figure the movie out pretty easily...
And then the filmmakers do something that is absolutely bat-s*** insane and turn everything on its head in the dumbest way imaginable. As it turns out (and this why I clicked 'spoiler' at the top), the movie really takes a lot of inspiration from a *1970's TV movie* called Bad Ronald (unseen by me, nothing to do with McDonald's fyi), which has the plot description of a perverted teenage boy who lives in the walls of a house after being left behind by his parents (who die) finds new people move in. Um... OK, that may work for that movie, but in the case of The Boy, the reveal of who Broms really is, makes for the craziest logic that I've ever come across for a mainstream horror movie - it combats The Village if you can believe it - and yet it doesn't really earn the brainpower to go back and think 'wait, how does that connect to this and that and... damn it.'
It suddenly turns what's been a not great (there's one story hole with mail that I won't get into here) but interesting horror movie with a solid lead in Cohan into a nightmare. I don't mean that in any positive sense! In the last several minutes it turns into some later-period Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers flick, as Broms - the *real* Broms - has super-human strength despite living IN THE WALLS OF HIS HOUSE and still wears a Broms-doll mask over a hipster beard. It's so insane that you can't turn away, despite the jaw dropping past the floor and down the aisles to the bottom of the theater.
The boy is about a woman getting paid to babysit a doll. The longer she stays at the house the more she uncovers the mystery about the dolls past.
devontesherman23 January 2016
This movie was a lot better than I expected with good acting, good character development, and a good plot. When I first heard about this movie I thought it was going to be anther disappointing horror movie, but instead it was a really surprising and well pacing movie with an amazing twist no one's going to see coming.
The characters in this movie are likable, and smart. Even though I never heard of anyone who acted in this film, I think they did an amazing job delivering, and making the movie more intense and entertaining.
The director does an fantastic job with this movie. Letting the viewers know what's going on though the whole movie. Making scenes very suspenseful and having a good pay off.
The characters in this movie are likable, and smart. Even though I never heard of anyone who acted in this film, I think they did an amazing job delivering, and making the movie more intense and entertaining.
The director does an fantastic job with this movie. Letting the viewers know what's going on though the whole movie. Making scenes very suspenseful and having a good pay off.
A Mediocre Movie Made Worse by Ridiculous Twist
TheRedDeath3024 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
SPOILERS WILL ABOUND HERE. TURN BACK IF YOU DON'T WANT THEM PLEASE
This movie combines all of the worst aspects of what is wrong with horror and Hollywood writing, in general, in 2016. It's a mediocre, unoriginal and bland thriller that relies on generic jump scares to create most of its' tension. After, at the least, maintaining a clear narrative the movie unleashes on of the most ridiculous twist endings since HIGH TENSION.
Lauren Cohen stars in this movie from Universal (that signifies how far they have fallen from their glory years of horror). She is an American girl who has moved to England to escape some dark moments in her life and take a job as a nanny. Only this is no ordinary nanny job, she is to watch a doll. As if that wasn't bizarre enough, the "parents" of this doll have a laundry list of very particular rules for the nanny to follow. Almost immediately, they leave her alone with the doll. Of course, like most of us would do, she doesn't take these duties seriously at first, ignoring the doll and going on about her life isolated in this country home. Then, things start to go weird, as items disappear and finally she is trapped overnight in an attic.
After these events, our heroine starts to take the doll seriously and realize that there is a spirit in the house who demands care of the doll or will unleash devilish tricks on her. Most of us have an innate unsettled feeling with dolls and mannequins and the movie does a good job of playing with this fear. There are some genuinely creepy scenes where the doll will unnerve even the most jaded horror fan. Unfortunately, the movie falls down generic Hollywood horror traps far too often, though, as almost every real "scare" in this movie is the most boring of boring types -- the jump scare. Yes, the music ratchets up, the mood intensifies and the camera zooms in slowly only for something to jump out at us with a loud noise, accompanied by jarring music. It's such lazy film making.
Lauren Cohen doesn't help much here, either. She's a pretty face that most know from THE WALKING DEAD, but even as an ardent fan of that show, I found her to be a generic actress there. Try as the show might to make Maggie interesting, Cohen just brings no real emotion to the role. Here, it's much the same. She's the pretty girl next door and that's about it. It's hard to feel much for her because the actress has done nothing to bring sympathy to the role.
Still, all things considered, for the first 75 minutes or so the movie has done an average job of presenting an, at least, entertaining (if unmemorable) thriller, then we get to the twist. Hollywood seems to have a fascination with the twist and I think that horror falls into this trap the worst. This is the most horrid kind of twist. Look at a classic twist like THE SIXTH SENSE. The viewer can go back and re- watch the film and there is ample evidence everywhere that the viewer could have seen this coming. The twist does something to support the previous narrative and make it all the more impactful.
Too many amateur writers seem to feel it is okay to just pull the rug out from under the viewer and say "Aha, I got you". No, you didn't "get" anyone with this ending. You spent all of this time building a tense mood around a spirit who may be possessing this doll, then soiled all over it. There are so many things the writer could have done intelligently with that premise, but the real threat is much more generic. What was the point of having a doll in the first place? Why all the rules? Why the doll? Why bother? You could have done a ghost story and left out the twist. You could have done a creepy mystery guy movie and left out the doll. By combining these, you've only created something ludicrous. It's tempting for a writer because an unintelligent viewer will typically confuse an out of nowhere twist with good writing, but this just isn't the case. A twist means nothing if you didn't support it along the way, build towards it and use it to bring meaning to what has come before. Otherwise, all you've done is left one narrative unfinished and tacked on a different story at the end.
This movie combines all of the worst aspects of what is wrong with horror and Hollywood writing, in general, in 2016. It's a mediocre, unoriginal and bland thriller that relies on generic jump scares to create most of its' tension. After, at the least, maintaining a clear narrative the movie unleashes on of the most ridiculous twist endings since HIGH TENSION.
Lauren Cohen stars in this movie from Universal (that signifies how far they have fallen from their glory years of horror). She is an American girl who has moved to England to escape some dark moments in her life and take a job as a nanny. Only this is no ordinary nanny job, she is to watch a doll. As if that wasn't bizarre enough, the "parents" of this doll have a laundry list of very particular rules for the nanny to follow. Almost immediately, they leave her alone with the doll. Of course, like most of us would do, she doesn't take these duties seriously at first, ignoring the doll and going on about her life isolated in this country home. Then, things start to go weird, as items disappear and finally she is trapped overnight in an attic.
After these events, our heroine starts to take the doll seriously and realize that there is a spirit in the house who demands care of the doll or will unleash devilish tricks on her. Most of us have an innate unsettled feeling with dolls and mannequins and the movie does a good job of playing with this fear. There are some genuinely creepy scenes where the doll will unnerve even the most jaded horror fan. Unfortunately, the movie falls down generic Hollywood horror traps far too often, though, as almost every real "scare" in this movie is the most boring of boring types -- the jump scare. Yes, the music ratchets up, the mood intensifies and the camera zooms in slowly only for something to jump out at us with a loud noise, accompanied by jarring music. It's such lazy film making.
Lauren Cohen doesn't help much here, either. She's a pretty face that most know from THE WALKING DEAD, but even as an ardent fan of that show, I found her to be a generic actress there. Try as the show might to make Maggie interesting, Cohen just brings no real emotion to the role. Here, it's much the same. She's the pretty girl next door and that's about it. It's hard to feel much for her because the actress has done nothing to bring sympathy to the role.
Still, all things considered, for the first 75 minutes or so the movie has done an average job of presenting an, at least, entertaining (if unmemorable) thriller, then we get to the twist. Hollywood seems to have a fascination with the twist and I think that horror falls into this trap the worst. This is the most horrid kind of twist. Look at a classic twist like THE SIXTH SENSE. The viewer can go back and re- watch the film and there is ample evidence everywhere that the viewer could have seen this coming. The twist does something to support the previous narrative and make it all the more impactful.
Too many amateur writers seem to feel it is okay to just pull the rug out from under the viewer and say "Aha, I got you". No, you didn't "get" anyone with this ending. You spent all of this time building a tense mood around a spirit who may be possessing this doll, then soiled all over it. There are so many things the writer could have done intelligently with that premise, but the real threat is much more generic. What was the point of having a doll in the first place? Why all the rules? Why the doll? Why bother? You could have done a ghost story and left out the twist. You could have done a creepy mystery guy movie and left out the doll. By combining these, you've only created something ludicrous. It's tempting for a writer because an unintelligent viewer will typically confuse an out of nowhere twist with good writing, but this just isn't the case. A twist means nothing if you didn't support it along the way, build towards it and use it to bring meaning to what has come before. Otherwise, all you've done is left one narrative unfinished and tacked on a different story at the end.
People are being too hard on this good movie, better than ANABELLE to me.
zachary-1085728 April 2016
NO spoilers
OK, OK, i understand most peoples problems with this flick. It has some gaps, and some missing story elements. I read a couple of reviews, and people complained about things not being explained and impossible scenarios. But this move was super entertaining. I did not want to turn away, it kept me glued, and was fun. What else do you really want from a horror or mystery movie? It was original, and inventive, and the acting was good. Was it a perfect movie, no... but it was definitely worth watching, and if your on the fence about it, don't be, watch it. And i am picky.
OK, OK, i understand most peoples problems with this flick. It has some gaps, and some missing story elements. I read a couple of reviews, and people complained about things not being explained and impossible scenarios. But this move was super entertaining. I did not want to turn away, it kept me glued, and was fun. What else do you really want from a horror or mystery movie? It was original, and inventive, and the acting was good. Was it a perfect movie, no... but it was definitely worth watching, and if your on the fence about it, don't be, watch it. And i am picky.
Not bad
fil-nik0911 April 2016
The Boy is not a bad movie. Actually it really is entertaining and not boring. Usually, this kind of a movie is predictable and the story begins or let's say first third of the film, I though I knew what was going to happen next and it kinda did, but I could not really imagine the end of the film , so when the twist occurred, I was surprised positively.
The whole boy/doll thing was interesting and kinda creepy. I am not sure if this is a horror movie... Even though there are some scares and some killings, they are 'less horror and bloody' than million others in dramas and thrillers.
Although the twist towards the end is a big plus, as I did not see it coming, the very end of the film is kinda a bit of a let down as I expected that the boy story be explained... I know that there was no one left to tell the story, but maybe some police or an article from the old newspapers... Also, I am not sure we got to see / read the letters the boy's parents ( but aren't they too old?!) left/sent ...
All in all, I feel like there is going to be the sequel. Not only because the doll/boy is restored, but, those questions I was wondering about give the feeling they will be explained eventually.
Seven from me.
The whole boy/doll thing was interesting and kinda creepy. I am not sure if this is a horror movie... Even though there are some scares and some killings, they are 'less horror and bloody' than million others in dramas and thrillers.
Although the twist towards the end is a big plus, as I did not see it coming, the very end of the film is kinda a bit of a let down as I expected that the boy story be explained... I know that there was no one left to tell the story, but maybe some police or an article from the old newspapers... Also, I am not sure we got to see / read the letters the boy's parents ( but aren't they too old?!) left/sent ...
All in all, I feel like there is going to be the sequel. Not only because the doll/boy is restored, but, those questions I was wondering about give the feeling they will be explained eventually.
Seven from me.
Not Logical
Johnny_West19 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
So who brings food to adult Brahms living inside the walls? The mansion is in a remote location. Malcolm brings Lauren food and payment once a week, so who brings food for Brahms?
Did you notice that the space inside the walls was huge? The kid could have driven a golf-cart inside the walls. Also from inside the walls, all the wood paneling had lots of gaps, so the kid could look at everything inside the house. Talk about shoddy construction! From the actual rooms in the house, all the walls looked really good quality, and none of them had any gaps or holes for peeping.
The surprise twist was fun. Watching gigantic real-life Bahms pop out of a mirror was a great scare, but it just made no practical sense at all. The kid had his own room, refrigerator, and a hot plate. Presumably every day when he was cooking the food nobody delivered to him, the smell of cooking would have been noticed sooner or later. Just the concept of somebody living inside the walls for ten years seems pretty much impossible.
Plus why would he live inside the walls when his parents were the only ones living with him? Seems like once they established the alibi of the kid dying in the fire, the next step would have been to put him on a boat to another country, so he could move on with his life and his parents could move on and pretend he was really dead.
Did you notice that the space inside the walls was huge? The kid could have driven a golf-cart inside the walls. Also from inside the walls, all the wood paneling had lots of gaps, so the kid could look at everything inside the house. Talk about shoddy construction! From the actual rooms in the house, all the walls looked really good quality, and none of them had any gaps or holes for peeping.
The surprise twist was fun. Watching gigantic real-life Bahms pop out of a mirror was a great scare, but it just made no practical sense at all. The kid had his own room, refrigerator, and a hot plate. Presumably every day when he was cooking the food nobody delivered to him, the smell of cooking would have been noticed sooner or later. Just the concept of somebody living inside the walls for ten years seems pretty much impossible.
Plus why would he live inside the walls when his parents were the only ones living with him? Seems like once they established the alibi of the kid dying in the fire, the next step would have been to put him on a boat to another country, so he could move on with his life and his parents could move on and pretend he was really dead.
Underrated Horror Gem.
Mcnabbbeasty13 August 2022
This was a pleasant surprise. Extremely effective and unique horror movie. Didn't insult my horror intelligence for a second. Is she going mad? Is this doll haunted? High quality tension throughout. Better then Annabelle and chucky. Should be rated higher.
Shockingly good for a Hollywood horror
Oberrated21 April 2016
So, as many of my closest acquaintances know, the horror genre is a very sensitive subject to me when it comes to what I like and what I do not like. As most horror films have come within years, I have not been a fan of very many especially one of my recent views, 'The Forest'. 'The Boy' however, get ready for it
impressed and shocked me. I am a huge fan of 'The Boy'. I found the scare moments not that bad, I even fell for one jump scare but even beyond the scare moments, I felt creeped out at some of the moments presented by this film. Even after a certain point, I found myself unable to close my mouth because the film made my jaw drop in shock as some of the very eerie moments started to unravel and I lost myself in what was happening. By the end of the film I was overall shocked and appreciative of the story and how everything played out. So yes people, I am a fan of this horror flick. I would advise people to go out and check this one out, it is great for date night, it is great in regards to story and eerie horror elements, overall, it was a pretty damn great film.
Done very well, final reveal not shocking, but still good.
kimheniadis21 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Going into this film I wasn't sure what to expect since the advertising for it was vague. The movie does a great job keeping you guessing. Is the doll actually alive, or perhaps an evil spirit is possessing the doll, or my personal favorite, the main character is just going crazy.
The house itself plays a character in the film, besides the gorgeous architectural detail, it's huge and creepy. It lends itself nicely to the question as to what's going on. Will Greta find details in the attic, or perhaps the burnt part of the house where the son died. Or did she get herself into a Scooby-Doo situation, and the house is filled with secret passages.
The parents of Brahms are great characters too, although we don't see much of them because they leave on vacation shortly after Greta gets there. The mom seems completely crazy, and the father just seems resigned that this is his life. Greta should have known something was up when a mom who is so dedicated to her son to just leave him with an almost stranger. But Greta has issues of her own, and is glad she can just hide out, without having to do much. Greta's issue comes into play later on, and only adds to the wonderful build-up of tension in this film.
At first I was going to give this film four stars, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I really did like it. There were jump scares that were done very well, the actors were very talented, the tension and music was used wonderfully, and the final reveal (while not shocking), was good.
The house itself plays a character in the film, besides the gorgeous architectural detail, it's huge and creepy. It lends itself nicely to the question as to what's going on. Will Greta find details in the attic, or perhaps the burnt part of the house where the son died. Or did she get herself into a Scooby-Doo situation, and the house is filled with secret passages.
The parents of Brahms are great characters too, although we don't see much of them because they leave on vacation shortly after Greta gets there. The mom seems completely crazy, and the father just seems resigned that this is his life. Greta should have known something was up when a mom who is so dedicated to her son to just leave him with an almost stranger. But Greta has issues of her own, and is glad she can just hide out, without having to do much. Greta's issue comes into play later on, and only adds to the wonderful build-up of tension in this film.
At first I was going to give this film four stars, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I really did like it. There were jump scares that were done very well, the actors were very talented, the tension and music was used wonderfully, and the final reveal (while not shocking), was good.
nice little horror
SnoopyStyle4 February 2018
Greta Evans (Lauren Cohan) takes a job as a nanny in a remote english country mansion. She is surprised when the elderly Heelshires reveal the boy to be a life size porcelain doll. She needs the money while avoiding her possessive boyfriend. She decides to take the job. She is left alone with the doll when the couple leaves for their vacation. Caretaker Malcolm (Rupert Evans) occasionally visits and he tells her that the couple had lost their son Brahms some 20 years earlier.
It's a nice little ghost story for the first hour. It's a bit of a throwback until the movie turns into an action thriller. This is a small horror but it's effective. Cohan does a nice turn into believing the supernatural. It's all very nice and easy old fashion indie horror.
It's a nice little ghost story for the first hour. It's a bit of a throwback until the movie turns into an action thriller. This is a small horror but it's effective. Cohan does a nice turn into believing the supernatural. It's all very nice and easy old fashion indie horror.
this movie is awful
YahiaShowgan30 April 2016
Warning: Spoilers
this movie sucks so bad. don't watch it. leaves many unanswered questions, no ending at all and nothing makes sense! at the end we understand that Braham was living inside the walls the whole time, he was the one moving the doll every time it was unwatched and he had everything he needed inside.. he used the crawl spaces and other hidden places to get around and his parents kept him hidden for about years since he was wanted for questioning about the little girl Brahama killed. it looks like his parents were scared of him and kept feeding him and protecting him and in the end they couldn't take anymore and drowned themselves. the movie gives no explanation what so ever about why he killed the little girl when he was a child, why his parents kept hiding him, what was the doll all about and why it was needed, how did the house shake when the doll was broken and the lights went crazy, and how Braham was never seen every time the doll was moved and he did stuff inside the house
The Boy
tr9110 April 2016
Warning: Spoilers
First of all I am not really a fan of horrors and only watch them occasionally if I'm watching a film with a few friends. So of course I haven't seen many horror films in my time but I really enjoyed this one.
The plot at the start is very simple, an American nanny goes to England to babysit. When she gets there she realises that she is in fact going to be taking care of a doll instead of a human. The parents go off and leave a set of rules for her to follow but she of course thinks this is silly, after all it's just a doll...or so it would seem.
Although the film does rely on a few jump scares, I found the atmosphere the film creates was terrific, and basic things happening seemed to ramp up the tension. At first I was suspicious of a few of the secondary characters involved in the film but as we got towards the end of the film, the reveal of who/what The Boy really is was a shocking twist which in my opinion worked very well.
The Walking Dead's Lauren Cohan gives a good performance in the lead role (the first film I've ever seen her in) and The Boy is just creepy and put me on edge.
Overall I found it to be a good film with a good horror atmosphere which doesn't rely on the usual slash and gore. I would class it as more of a thriller. Better than expected and would recommend.
The plot at the start is very simple, an American nanny goes to England to babysit. When she gets there she realises that she is in fact going to be taking care of a doll instead of a human. The parents go off and leave a set of rules for her to follow but she of course thinks this is silly, after all it's just a doll...or so it would seem.
Although the film does rely on a few jump scares, I found the atmosphere the film creates was terrific, and basic things happening seemed to ramp up the tension. At first I was suspicious of a few of the secondary characters involved in the film but as we got towards the end of the film, the reveal of who/what The Boy really is was a shocking twist which in my opinion worked very well.
The Walking Dead's Lauren Cohan gives a good performance in the lead role (the first film I've ever seen her in) and The Boy is just creepy and put me on edge.
Overall I found it to be a good film with a good horror atmosphere which doesn't rely on the usual slash and gore. I would class it as more of a thriller. Better than expected and would recommend.
Pervy Porcelin Doll
danielharden31 March 2016
Warning: Spoilers
The Boy is about a creepy ass doll that is treated like a person, and who Walking Dead star, Lauren Cohen is tasked with nannying in a equally creepy ass house.
First off, the film isn't scary, and this is coming from someone who is very easily scared (if you exclude the doll giving Greta a peanut butter sandwich scene God Damn!). This film most certainly won't follow you out the movie theatre. You can see that the filmmakers really tried to build suspense and tension albeit through conventional means like; a spooky house, corridor wondering at night, dream sequences, china dolls and a few jump scares littered throughout. But, although an attempt was made, the result has little impact bar a few expected reflexes.
The Boy is unfortunately one of those horror movies that contains; poorly shot scenes (yes I'm talking about the parents suicide), plot holes, hundreds of unanswered questions originated due to poor logic and also, unintentionally hilarious moments.
I must say that Brahms is one pervy china doll. Literally for the majority of the film all this doll does is steal Lauren Cohen's clothes and just stare at her in general including during sexy time. To be honest it is clear that the reason she was chosen as the nanny was because of Brahms sexual attraction towards her, but to me, a perverted doll with the hots for his nanny is simply laughable.
I have to bring up the parents suicide scene because I could not stop questioning and laughing at it due to its visuals and logic. Firstly the couple pick up a rather large pebble, about the size of their hand. Why? Was the pebble "so heavy" that it drowned them? Maybe if they took a dozen plus (of the same size or bigger) then put them in their pockets, THEN I may believe it... But no. One pebble equals drowning. And if that wasn't hilarious enough then the fact there isn't a shot of the two with their heads underwater is also baffling. Allow me to elaborate. The couple look like they went for a good ol' swim and then suddenly, jump cut, they disappeared, although I understood what the filmmakers where going for it could have been made much clearer and did not have to look so darn goofy.
The ending. The ending to The Boy is aimed to be ambiguous, but probably not to the degree I found it so. So the big reveal of the film is that Brahms never died and was hiding in the walls of the house, moving the doll for 20 years... Why has he been in the walls for 20 years? I can understand initially to hide from the police due to killing that girl but 20 YEARS!? He could've surely come out years ago couldn't he? Also the final shot of the film is probably the most confusing shot in the entire film. The doll is put back together again by someone hidden from the camera (most likely undead human Brahms)... But why? Who is going to come to this house anymore? The parents are dead, the nanny and grocery man are long gone so who? And don't even get me started on the "HE'S STILL ALIVE" implication here.
Overall the Boy is a not so scary horror movie that, to be honest, has one or two moments I must confess, but for the most part is heavily flawed with; plot holes, formulaic scares, unintentional Hilarity, lack of explanation in its logic etc. It's meh, but if you like horror films then maybe check it out, or not, up to you but it just isn't for me.
First off, the film isn't scary, and this is coming from someone who is very easily scared (if you exclude the doll giving Greta a peanut butter sandwich scene God Damn!). This film most certainly won't follow you out the movie theatre. You can see that the filmmakers really tried to build suspense and tension albeit through conventional means like; a spooky house, corridor wondering at night, dream sequences, china dolls and a few jump scares littered throughout. But, although an attempt was made, the result has little impact bar a few expected reflexes.
The Boy is unfortunately one of those horror movies that contains; poorly shot scenes (yes I'm talking about the parents suicide), plot holes, hundreds of unanswered questions originated due to poor logic and also, unintentionally hilarious moments.
I must say that Brahms is one pervy china doll. Literally for the majority of the film all this doll does is steal Lauren Cohen's clothes and just stare at her in general including during sexy time. To be honest it is clear that the reason she was chosen as the nanny was because of Brahms sexual attraction towards her, but to me, a perverted doll with the hots for his nanny is simply laughable.
I have to bring up the parents suicide scene because I could not stop questioning and laughing at it due to its visuals and logic. Firstly the couple pick up a rather large pebble, about the size of their hand. Why? Was the pebble "so heavy" that it drowned them? Maybe if they took a dozen plus (of the same size or bigger) then put them in their pockets, THEN I may believe it... But no. One pebble equals drowning. And if that wasn't hilarious enough then the fact there isn't a shot of the two with their heads underwater is also baffling. Allow me to elaborate. The couple look like they went for a good ol' swim and then suddenly, jump cut, they disappeared, although I understood what the filmmakers where going for it could have been made much clearer and did not have to look so darn goofy.
The ending. The ending to The Boy is aimed to be ambiguous, but probably not to the degree I found it so. So the big reveal of the film is that Brahms never died and was hiding in the walls of the house, moving the doll for 20 years... Why has he been in the walls for 20 years? I can understand initially to hide from the police due to killing that girl but 20 YEARS!? He could've surely come out years ago couldn't he? Also the final shot of the film is probably the most confusing shot in the entire film. The doll is put back together again by someone hidden from the camera (most likely undead human Brahms)... But why? Who is going to come to this house anymore? The parents are dead, the nanny and grocery man are long gone so who? And don't even get me started on the "HE'S STILL ALIVE" implication here.
Overall the Boy is a not so scary horror movie that, to be honest, has one or two moments I must confess, but for the most part is heavily flawed with; plot holes, formulaic scares, unintentional Hilarity, lack of explanation in its logic etc. It's meh, but if you like horror films then maybe check it out, or not, up to you but it just isn't for me.
Really not as bad as some as these reviews are making it out to be.
riceryan13 May 2016
I'm an avid IMDb user. This is actually my first time writing a review though. I felt inclined after browsing through other's reviews saying how horrible this movie was. It was actually a lot better than I expected. I wasn't in a huge hurry to see it, but I'm happy I watched it. I haven't been a fan of many newer horror movies with the exception of It Follows, but I recommend watching this with an open mind. There's a twist that makes it worth while and I must admit, I didn't see it coming a mile away. Perfect ending to my mini Friday the 13th marathon. -- -- -- -- ----- ----- -----—------------ -----—------—----------------------------- ---
Definitely worth the watch
giuseppedidomenico769 February 2020
I have seen many horror movies
Possibly not the goriest or the scariest
But at least it flows and keeps you hooked to it
By wondering what the hell is going on here??
At the end is not what a good movie is about
Keep your attention on and entertained
In that respect the mivie is very good at it
The acting is very good Location interesting very british Hitting all the stereotypes according the Americans lol 😂
Very enjoyable
The acting is very good Location interesting very british Hitting all the stereotypes according the Americans lol 😂
Very enjoyable
It's Scary (that anyone would think this is a good movie!)
fatref35016 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Words can't describe how awful this movie was...but I'll try. First off, there was nothing original about the plot, except the last 15 minutes when we find out that Brahms is not a spirit. He is actually a burned, maniacal man-child living in the walls, killing young girls and dictating the rules of the house. The doll was creepy, yes, but not at all scary. There was no sense of suspense, danger, fear, or "Oh God, what's gonna happen next?" The acting was very sub-par; cardboard cutouts reading ridiculous dialog. The sets, music and camera work were not at all ominous. Oh, you want clichés? How about a girl in the shower being stalked? A rainy night? A shadow on the wall? A telephone that keeps ringing and no one is there? Getting locked in the attic? Creeping around at night with a candle while in a house that has electricity and plenty of light switches? Look, I knew going in that this would be a silly haunted house movie, but I was hoping to at least be entertained for 90 minutes. Instead, I was bored and insulted. This movie sucked!
It was a good movie
joanneadri6 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I had the opportunity to watch it at cinema. Everybody scream. It had a good photography to make you believe the doll is alive. But also remembers me a lot of Deadline movie, overall its red dress, the past of the protagonist (the same story about a woman that suffered a lot abuse from his husband, she lost the baby and she try to forget her past by running away to a place that supposed to be in the middle of nothing in a house that is enough big to forget everything) But I have to say that I admire the fact that makes you believe is a cursed doll in the entire movie, but it isn't . it was a different perspective of the story of a killer
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