michael-3204 A more descriptive title for this film might be "A Portrait of the Psychopath as a 9-Year-Old Boy," but whatever you call it, it's a creepy, mostly effective examination of profoundly disturbed child Ted (Jared Breeze) trapped in an isolated existence in a run-down, failing motel run by his broken father (David Morse).Death and decay are the overriding preoccupations here, especially young Ted's growing fascination with anything dead and dying, so much so that he starts to engineer the outcomes he's intrigued by with increasingly dire consequences. This isn't a film that necessarily can be spoiled (though I won't give away plot developments) because you can see where it's going almost from the first scene. Director/co-writer Craig William Macneill is not interested in surprises or twists, but in constructing an atmosphere that leads inexorably to the what seems like the inevitable finale. He does so through long, static (or nearly so) shots of scenery and action that is often filmed at a remove -- characters half-hidden by obstructions of various types or framed in the background. He gets a lot of mileage out of the desolate beauty of his location. This was filmed in Colombia, but is set in non- specific rural U.S. roughly two days drive from Florida (that's as specific as it gets). Like Macneill's angelic-looking star, the scenery here could be quite pleasant, peaceful and innocent, but the film instead emphasizes its (and Ted's) more menacing, uncaring qualities. The particular combination of stylistic characteristics he evokes is a bit like Alfred Hitchcock meets Peter Greenaway, minus the lushness.Breeze and Morse carry the lion's share of the film on their very capable shoulders. Rainn Wilson and, somewhat surprisingly, Mike Vogel are also on hand in smaller, not terribly demanding roles. Breeze, especially, is very effective without resorting to showier. idiosyncratic or self-conscious acting that child performers in horror movies are often directed to perform. Breeze's matter-of- fact, naturalistic performance helps sell the extent to which some of what Ted gets up to is what any lonely kid trying to amuse and occupy himself would do, while some is only what a child lacking any empathy could do.This is a pretty dour movie -- there aren't any obvious characters to root for or even be engaged by save Ted and his unfortunate father. There's not much to cheer here, nor much relief from the bleak view of humanity, nature and how they intersect. As such, it's not a fun watch, but it is intriguing and stylish enough to hold viewers' interest, if they approach it in the right frame of mind.

politehere Let me start by saying that I generally do not like Drama movies because more often than not I find them to be excruciatingly slow and boring. I'm a huge horror movie fan. The Boy is not your typical horror movie. In fact, it's not even scary for the most part. I had no idea what it was about before watching it and only through reading the IMDb reviews after watching the movie found out that it was trying to show us how a sociopath was born. Surprisingly, I did not get bored at all during the movie because I found the shots to be artistic and I could feel the loneliness the boy had to endure. The ending made me feel so bad that I thought to myself "this has got to be true terror", in spite of the fact that I have a liking for jump scares, which were completely absent from this movie. This movie is not for everyone. Most people will bash it for being too slow, but it's the slow built-up that will make you terrified at the end. Also, the movie creates false expectations and sympathy for the wrong guy, which is a quality I absolutely love to see in any movie.8/10 for a perfect atmosphere, good acting and an effective ending.

utexashorns First, let me say that this film is very underrated because of those that don't appreciate psycho/social storyline building that does not have instant gratification. If you are one of those then move on- you wont appreciate this understated and psychological story.The story shows how the pain, anger and isolation of a frustrated young boy can create just the right recipe for a Sociopath. It presents a story that is realistic and chilling as you watch the progression of the boy's desperation and thus psychosis taking hold of him. The atmosphere is quietly horrifying as you feel the constant loss and emptiness that surrounds this boy and the way it understandably sets the stage for his survival. He needs to get out of there and get away, but is becoming more and more socially awkward do to the isolation and heavy depression that surrounds him. This creates an emotional numbness that leads him to distract himself with creating drama and destruction around him until he finally decides to find his opportunity to escape by any means necessary.

shinyhalo-1 This is actually a beautifully told story about the consequences of failing as a parent. The father neglects his boy drinking and watching TV. The mother ditched both her husband and boy at the beginning of the movie. You reap what you sow with kids. Give them guidance and ask them if they are happy. The father in this movie asked more questions than he gave guidance with crap like "You know why I'm doing this don't you?" Uhm...NO, he's a 9 year old. Or "There are some kids coming to celebrate prom. We're going to let boys be boys and girls be girls, know what I mean?" Uhm...NO, he's a 9 year old. The finale is worthy of Hannibal.