EVOL666 I'd originally watched BUDDY BOY about three years ago but never reviewed it for some reason. I remembered how I felt about it but wanted to revisit again before I made any comments in on it.The storyline involves around Francis-a 'nice' but a bit slow and socially-retarded individual who has no life other than working at a photo-development shop and taking care of his alcoholic, piece of sh!t stepmother. A chance encounter with a sexy neighbor (who Francis has been spying on) works out in his favor when said neighbor seems to recognize his decent qualities despite his awkwardness-and goes so far as to bone the poor sap. They begin a 'relationship' of sorts-but as Francis becomes more obsessed with sexy-neighbor and his paranoia gets the best of him-things start spiraling downward rapidly...Overall-BUDDY BOY is a decent film that touches on subjects concerning obsession, paranoia, mental break-down, reality vs. fantasy, etc...in other words-all things that make for a laugh-a-minute joyride. But seriously- there are some heady subjects that are touched on and handled well. I guess my only gripes are that the film feels like a hundred other films that I've seen that deal with the same basic subject-matter. What BUDDY BOY is at it's heart-is basically REAR WINDOW with elements of every other paranoia-themed film out there. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing-as this one stands up well on it's own-I just don't feel that I'm seeing anything new or original. Also- although the pace is decent in terms of trying to build suspense and keep the viewer guessing-it still felt a little over-long to me. I think a bit of trimming in the editing room could have made it a bit more streamlined. The semi-ambiguous but predictable ending felt rehashed as well. If it sounds like I'm bagging on this one-I'm really not. It's well- acted, well-shot, and a solid film overall...I just didn't leave the film feeling like I saw anything fresh or extremely noteworthy...7/10

The_Triad Buddy Boy is strange film to get a hold of. It has very stylised production design and cinematography, and is quite slow to start but once it gets going, it becomes a very unique film. Francis is the main character. An introverted guy with a stutter who goes to a catholic church, works in a photo developers and lives with an old woman called Sal. Towards the beginning of the film, it builds up our information about the character using cinematic technique, rather than dialogue. The main crux of the film is formed when he meets a woman, Gloria and gets involved in a relationship with her. The film continues with a subplot about a missing child and a man who came in to fix a leaky pipe that keeps coming back and hanging out with Sal. The relationship between Francis and Gloria being the main plot, it takes a darker twist and we get lots of religious imagery, talk of God, hypocrisy and vegans. This is comes together to make quite an intriguing film, that whilst it doesn't quite seem to all gel together, is a worthy effort, and results in a better than average film.

tcsteele Buddy Boy is an amazingly twisted and brilliantly written piece. Hanlon is obviously a man possessing exceptional skill and an enviable creative mind. The film requires that its audience possess the intelligence and acumen in order to appreciate its complicated, dark beauty. One can only hope that he continues to provide the movie-going community with such wonderfully challenging material.

xterd This disturbing and hilarious film achieves a delicate balance of the macabre and the absurd. At times it approaches satire, but its ultimate dramatic intensity belies a more serious study of faith and alienation. The performances of Aidan Gillen, as Francis, the lonely introvert voyeur, and Susan Tyrrell, his abusive mother, are exceptional. The production design and cinematography together create a strange and haunting world. One particularly interesting element is the use of sound to convey the protagonist's changing psychological perspective. Overall, this film has the unusual characteristic of staying with you long after you've seen it. I would highly recommend it.