The Boy Movie Review Jan 24, 2016

The Boy: A Creepy Doll Story that Falls Apart in the Final Act

A young American named Greta (Lauren Cohan) takes a job as a nanny for an 8-year-old boy in a remote English village. To her surprise, Greta learns that the child of her new employers is a life-size doll. They care for the doll as if it was human, which helps the couple to cope with the death of their own son 20 years earlier. When Greta violates a list of strict rules, a series of disturbing and inexplicable events bring her worst fears to life, leading her to believe that the doll is alive.

Director: William Brent Bell

Sequel: Brahms: The Boy II

MPAA rating: PG-13

Running time: 1h 37m

Distributed by: STX Entertainment, Huayi Brothers

The film The Boy had a lot to overcome. With a low budget, weak marketing, and the shadow of superior doll-themed horror films like Annabelle, it faced an uphill battle. Although the film began with a creepy and atmospheric tone, it quickly became a predictable and unsatisfying mess. Any hope that the film would transcend its low-budget origins was misplaced.

The film's premise is a solid horror setup, although it's not entirely original. An American woman, escaping an abusive relationship, takes a job in England. She is hired to care for an elderly couple's "son," who is actually a life-sized porcelain doll named Brahms. The doll was created to replace their real son who died years earlier. The woman's plan is to collect a large paycheck by coasting through the job. Soon, strange events suggest that Brahms may not be inanimate. The early scenes effectively build tension, leaving viewers to question what is real. There is even a moment of supernatural wonder, hinting at a compelling ghost-in-the-doll story.

However, the film loses its nerve and delivers a final twist that is both nonsensical and undermines the prior buildup. The climax reveals a fully grown man has been hiding in the walls and manipulating the doll. This feels cheap and unearned. It exchanges a potentially intriguing supernatural story for a formulaic slasher narrative, turning the suspense into a clumsy man-vs-man brawl. The reveal is boring and makes a mockery of the earlier scares. It's a betrayal of the film's own premise.

Ultimately, The Boy teaches how a bad ending can ruin an entire film. What could have been a good horror movie with a clever, creepy premise is undone by a finale that feels like a cop-out. The movie is a straight-to-DVD caliber film mistakenly released in theaters. The lead actress delivered a strong performance. However, she could not save the film from its terrible final act. If you’re considering seeing it, save your money. It's better to wait until it's available on demand, and even then, you'd be better off rewatching Star Wars.