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[tab title="Movie Review"]

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It is simply impossible to write about the events in The Boy without breaking into a serious case of the giggles.  The absurdity of a young woman babysitting a doll in a mansion that just drips with gothic goo is ripe for parody.  The situation knows no bounds and yet – barring the whole familiarity of its set-up – The Boy manages to dig up a few frights on its way to the cinematic graveyard of January releases. 

Written by Stacey Menear and directed by William Brent Bell (The Devil Inside), the horror film tells the story of Greta (Lauren Cohen from AMC’s The Walking Dead) who escapes to the British countryside from an abusive relationship to work as a nanny for an 8-year-old boy.  But the object of her employment isn’t exactly a living and breathing child. 

Brahms is a porcelain doll.

Hired by The Heelshires (Jim Norton and Diana Hardcastle), the elderly couple invites Greta into their home and then quickly leaves for an extended vacation, never fully explaining the whole story behind the doll and why they consider him and treat him as if he really is their son.  That task is left to a flirting Rupert Evans, who takes an interest in the young girl, spends “extra” time with Greta, and tells her the tale of the fire that took The Heelshires’ real boy.

Full of tension-filled dream sequences and standard mirror jump scares, The Boy manages to leave an impression due to the efforts of the cast, the crisp cinematography of Daniel Pearl and the gloomy details in production designer John Willett’s stage.  The Heelshires have one hell of a creepy house and, as Greta discovers, it is full of all sorts of creaks and groans as she settles in and begins to experience, first hand, its mysterious history.

Cohen, who has several scenes acting against an unmoving porcelain doll, manages to pull this task off.  Oh, it’s inherently silly to be sure but that doesn’t stop her commitment to putting it all in place and delivering a sort of “well, what would YOU do” interpretation that shows mindfulness and maturity in the young actress.  

The Boy is easily going to be enjoyed more by the audience and less by the critics and, in this slow season of cinematic dumping grounds, it will probably benefit from not living up to the premise as it derails in its final moments of child’s play.  As it is, this is perfectly creepy and perfectly harmless entertainment that – with a couple more passes in the script – could have offered more. 

For my taste in horror, The Boy – while creepy enough – could have been benefited from a little more naughty behavior.   

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[tab title="Film Details"]

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for violence and terror, and for some thematic material
Runtime: 97 mins
Director: William Brent Bell
Writer: Stacey Menear
Cast: Lauren Cohan, Rupert Evans, James Russell
Genre: Thriller | Horror
Tagline: Every child needs to be loved.
Memorable Movie Quote: "We’ve had a number of potential nannies come through. Do you think you can manage?"
Distributor: STX Entertainment
Official Site:
Release Date: January 22, 2016
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: May 10, 2016
Synopsis: Greta is a young American woman who takes a job as a nanny in a remote English village, only to discover that the family's 8-year-old is a life-sized doll that the parents care for just like a real boy, as a way to cope with the death of their actual son 20 years prior. After violating a list of strict rules, a series of disturbing and inexplicable events bring Greta's worst nightmare to life, leading her to believe that the doll is actually alive.

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - May 10, 2016
Screen Formats: 2.40:1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Single disc (1 BD); UV digital copy; iTunes digital copy; Digital copy
Region Encoding: A

Presented on blu-ray courtesy of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, the 1080P MPEG-4 AVC encoded video with a 2.40:1 aspect ratio is every bit as detailed as it should be. Staying true to its genre are the black levels that are inky and surprisingly deep. The wardrobes are textured and the home itself is loaded with specificity that the transfer beautifully captures. Skin tones and color elements – while stylistically muted – are good throughout. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround audio track is full of atmosphere and kicks in with good scares from time to time.

Supplements:

Commentary:

• None

Special Features:

Universal deems this one unnecessary for supplemental items. There are trailers for other films but nothing special or specific about this film is included.

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