The Boy Parent Guide

I’m used to seeing stupid antagonists in horror movies: Guys with chainsaws or ghosts that don’t know when to die. But the antagonist in The Boy is a real dummy. Literally!

When Greta Evans (Lauren Cohan) takes a nanny job in the UK to care for the son of an elderly couple (Jim Norton and Diana Hardcastle), she doesn’t know what to say when she meets Brahms. He’s a porcelain doll! His mother, Mrs. Heelshire, has a strict routine for Greta to follow each day, right down to the goodnight kiss. Needless to say when the Heelshires walk out the door to take a rare vacation, Greta tosses Brahms in a chair and then tries to relax in the huge old mansion.

We shouldn’t be surprised when the young woman’s thoughts of having an incredibly easy babysitting job are shattered by strange sounds in the night. As well, her clothes disappear while she’s in the shower (we see an outline of her figure through the curtain). With only the grocery “boy”—a handsome guy named Malcolm (Rupert Evans)—to speak with, she begins wondering if she’s crazier than Brahms’ parents. However, after Brahms delivers a peanut butter sandwich to her door, even she begins to buy into the idea that this kid is more than a dummy.

The Boy works all the classic elements of the horror genre. Isolation, a big old house, things that go bump in the night, and an attractive young woman trying to talk herself into believing everything is okay. For those who haven’t been fed a regular diet of jump scenes and crashing sounds, this may all be new and will work to raise a few hairs on your head.

In terms of content concerns, The Boy gets reasonably good grades. Infrequent profanities include some terms of Christian deity and scatological curses. The screenplay includes a brief sexual interlude, which is quickly interrupted by the dummy in the other room. And there is a depiction of suicide by drowning. However things get bloodier in the final act when an unexpected visitor shows up and meets the wrath of Brahms.

The film features amazing sets and a great location, which might help to compensate for the stereotypical creepy depiction of an inanimate object and the cookie-cutter plot. Still, if you’re looking for a cheap thrill at the movies, this boy could be for you.

About author

Rod Gustafson

Rod Gustafson has worked in various media industries since 1977. He founded Parent Previews in 1993, and today continues to write and broadcast the reviews in newspapers, on radio and (of course) on the Internet. His efforts also include writing and researching media in all its forms and observing how it effects society and culture. He and his wife Donna have four children.