THE BOY

Canada/ China/ US, 2016, 97 minutes, Colour.
Lauren Cowan, Rupert Evans, James Russell, Jim Norton, Diana Hardcastle, Ben Robson.
Directed by William Brent Bell.

The Boy seems a rather innocuous title for this film. One of the central characters is a boy but not quite in the way that we anticipated.

The film opens with a young woman from the United States, Greta (Lauren Cohen) answering an advertisement to look after a young boy at a country estate while his parents go off on a holiday. The location is England but all was filmed in Canada, including the country mansion and its interiors, rooms, staircases, attics, basement… As Greta looks through the house, she sees a portrait of the parents with their young son. She is ready for her task.

But, she is really not prepared, not knowing the truth about the boy – and neither does the audience who share her shock when she is first introduced to him. This makes for an interesting twist – and Greta is introduced to the boy’s routine, his name is Brahms and the lullaby does recur during the film, to his meals, dressing, going to bed, listening to music, reading.

Greta does get a shock when the young man doing grocery deliveries comes to the house (Rupert Evans). He is supportive as Greta tries to cope with the boy after the parents leave. A romantic touch, of course. She is a bit neglectful of Brahms but the boy asserts himself.

Which means that the film is something of a terror story with touches of horror, Greta trying to cope, and trapped at one stage in the attic, trying to decide how she will fulfil all the requirements of her task. her back story also catches up with her with a vengeful boyfriend turning up at the mansion.

Then there is another twist which Greta and the audience had not anticipated which builds up to confrontation, fights, escapes, and some tension.

This review has been written in the spirit of the film – and in such a way as not to reveal any of the twists. Audiences need to discover those for themselves.

1. The blend of horror and terror? The focus on a mysterious doll? Mystery?

2. The title, the boy in the portrait with his parents, his name of Brahms? His appearances the doll? Mysterious behaviour? His final appearance as a person?

3. The setting, the mansion, the grounds? British atmosphere? The interiors of the mansion, staircase, rooms, attic, basement? The musical score?

4. Greta arriving, an American in England, sleeping in the car, arrival, her shoes and their disappearance, looking around the house, hearing sounds? Studying the portraits? Seeing the dolls in the room? The encounter with the parents, her job, the rules and timetables? The story of her past, contact with her sister, the brutality from Cole? The phone calls?

5. Malcolm, scaring Greta, bringing the groceries, knowing Brahms, his playacting and shaking the dolls hand? Winking? Telling Greta the story? Thinking that Brahms was odd? His visits, attraction, in the bedroom, the plan for the night out, his not hearing Greta in the attic, returning, Greta proving to him with the chalk outline that the doll had moved?

6. Greta the parents, their rituals and rules, taking everything seriously? Meals, clothes, going to bed, the language of affection, reading, loud music? Brahms as a doll but treated as a person?

7. Greta alone, careless about the doll? The chair and covering him? Hearing noises, getting trapped in the attic, being let out, the accumulation of fears?

8. Brahms, moving, with the list of rules, Greta and her following the rules?

9. The parents, leaving for the holiday, writing the letter, going into the water and drowning, leaving Greta to Brahms?

10. The story of Cole, his arrival, brutality, treatment of Greta, the clash and fight with Malcolm?

11. The doll, Cole’s anger, smashing it, the attack, his death?

12. The revelation of Brahms as a person, odd, the mask, the adult, his beard under the mask? His manner of speaking? The clash, pursuit of Malcolm and Greta, the fight in the basement, Greta escaping, her decision to return, obeying the rules, stabbing Brahms, his pinning her against
the wall, her stabbing him again, his death? Her going to rescue Malcolm? Their driving to safety?

13. The image of someone rebuilding the doll?