Had The Boy been allowed to deliver on its initial promise, it could have been a classic old-school ghost story.
American Greta Evans (Lauren Cohan) takes a job as a nanny at an isolated English mansion. When she meets the boy she’s been charged to care for, she laughs nervously. He’s not a boy, but a porcelain doll. His parents, the elderly Mr. and Mrs. Heelshire (Jim Norton and Diana Hardcastle,) don’t appear to be crazy. In fact, they appear to be quite normal, although a little upset at her reaction to meeting Brahms, their “son.”
Local grocery deliveryman, Cameron (Rupert Evans,) explains that the Heelshires lost their eight-year-old son in a fire 20 years ago. To cope with their grief, they’ve been doting on the doll ever since. They’ve been looking for a nanny for the past year. According to the Heelshires, none had been to Brahm’s liking.
Greta, however, apparently passes Brahm’s judgment. The Heelshires hastily depart on their first holiday away from him in quite some time. They give Greta a set of rules that she must follow. They warn that if she deviates from these rules, Brahms will misbehave. Of course, we wouldn’t have much of a story if she decided to comply with these odd expectations. Or, you know, if she just called a taxi and said, “No thanks, freaks.”
The Boy starts strongly enough. The Heelshires’ mansion becomes a character every bit as creepy as Brahms. The idea of being left alone in such a house in the middle of nowhere — especially with a disturbing companion like Brahms — makes for the perfect setup for an old-fashioned horror movie. One that gets under your skin and makes you check under the bed.
And the script initially makes it seem like that’s how it’s going to play out. The camera peers around corners and through keyholes giving the audience the unsettling impression that something or someone is watching Greta. Her possessions begin to disappear. Items move seemingly on their own. And, when no one is looking, Brahms moves from place to place. Clearly, one of two things is happening: Greta is losing her mind, or the doll is alive.
Sadly, though, in the final act, the entire production performs a swan dive into disappointment. While I won’t spoil the finale, I will say that the patience and care that the film invests in its slow-burn set-up had me hooked. The ending felt like someone at the studio didn’t have enough confidence in telling a truly unconventional story.
Had The Boy been allowed to deliver on its initial promise, it could have been a classic old-school ghost story. As it is, it’s only a missed opportunity.
2.5 out of 5.0 stars
