Review of The Boy

Nothing about this movie attracted me when I first saw ads for it but, boy, am I glad i watched it on a pure lark. I expected a generic offering but got so much more. In fact, what "The Boy" does best is play with your expectations and then pull the rug out from under you.

The first act builds itself up like a well structured doll horror movie, packed to the brim with foreshadowing and a well executed sense of nervous anticipation only to unexpectedly turn more into a psychological piece during it's second act. At this point you begin to notice that you shouldn't take things at face value even as it lures you into believing more and more in the supernatural as it goes into its third act. Again I found myself expecting one thing only to get another!

I won't say where the third act ends up taking as part of the pleasure of watching this movie is where you end up and realizing how clever all the audience manipulation really was. Suffice it to say, the ending is very satisfying and makes you look back even more fondly on a film that steadily grows on you as it peels back the layers.

All in all, the delivery of these red herrings and false paths is very convincing if you're a jaded horror fan that has become familiar with the twists and turns of the genre. "The Boy" plays with you as the titular character does with the protagonist. It knows what you are waiting for and then turns another corner every chance it gets. Unexpectedly good!