There is a morbid fascination with the dark side of humanity. All forms of media have explored the potential within us all to embrace the inner killer, be it innate urges or something fashioned out of environment or necessity. Perverse glimpses into the darker side of our own selves. Such entries veer from gore-laden horror to the more subtle thrillers. The Boy adds to this stable with a more measured approach, crafting sympathy for the protagonist as well as a understanding as to how such internal darkness can blossom into something more.
The year is 1989, and nine year old Ted (Jared Breeze) lives alone with his father John (David Morse), his mother having long abandoned the pair. Their home is also the family business, a remote motel in the wilderness of the American West. John’s preoccupation with his wife leaving has only further enhanced the isolation of Ted, whose only drive comes from duties around the motel and his efforts to save up for a bus ticket to reunite with his mother in Florida. Through the actions of Ted, a stranger is inadvertently stranded at the motel. While Mr. Colby (Rainn Wilson) waits for his car to be fixed, he strikes up a unlikely bond with Ted, not understanding the boy’s tenuous mental state nor his fateful role in the path he is taking.
A isolated motel verging on the derelict offers a perfect setting for an emotional study such as this. Each new guest or bout of conflict with his brooding father sets about another glimpse at the malevolence within Ted. An exploration of the effect neglect and isolation can have on an unoccupied mind, every minute of the film adds another layer to his twisted development. The lack of a mother has created a vacuum in his life which has been widened by his father’s blunt parenting techniques. A child unable to form emotional ties suffers a transient existence, trapped in a barren purgatory. It is a scenario guaranteed to generate empathy, an emotion gradually replaced by a disturbing fear.
This is the first feature from Craig William Macneill, who was also co-writer with Clay McLeod Chapman. It is visually and emotionally distinct and certainly an accomplished debut. The Boy has a somber tone throughout; a looming sense of doom pervades the entire film, aided by the minimalistic score from Hauschka and the work of cinematographer Noah Greenberg. It’s sparse on dialogue and exposition; the film tells it’s tale through mood and Ted’s actions. While it slowly rolls towards an inevitable conclusion, it doesn’t make it any less gripping.
David Morse is a gravelly, melancholic presence as Ted’s father, clumsily trying to raise a boy alone while dealing with multiple issues of his own. Rainn Wilson continues to put Dwight behind him with what starts out as a mysterious drifter part, but he shows a deftness in befriending Ted as well as a vulnerability due to his recent past that makes his path in the film rather poignant. Jared Breeze effortlessly handles the darker material he is laden with, which in itself is terrifying. The film layers in sympathy for his plight but his path to the dark side is clear. A eerily detatched performance with hints of intensity that mark Breeze as one to keep an eye on.
The Boy is released under the SpectreVision label, co-founded by Austin favorite Elijah Wood, which has been quietly releasing impressive fare such as Cooties, LFO, and the recent A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night. Perhaps the most exciting thing about the film is its future potential. It has been revealed that The Boy is (hopefully) the first part of a trilogy which will examine Ted’s progression at the ages of 9, 14, and 18. It’s an ambitious idea and would offer a exciting chance to give a broad look at the development and refinement of a truly American sociopath, who emerges here in a hauntingly powerful and disturbing climax.
There is a patience about The Boy that is refreshing. It indulges the slow-burn buildup to the making of a sociopath by observing the small ticks of the young protagonist and effects of his surroundings. This detail makes for gripping viewing, enhanced by a outstanding score, superb direction, and memorable performances. An accomplished standalone effort, but potentially the foundation of something very exciting.