The Boy (2016) REVIEW

This film made me laugh and feel very freaked out in equal measures.

When a young American girl, Greta (played by Lauren Cohan) agrees to become a nanny for a young boy in a secluded house in the British countryside, she gets way more than she bargained for. She meets the Heelshire parents and when she is introduced to their son, Brahms, she discovers he is a china doll (!!). 

The parents treat him as if he were real, even giving her a list of rules she must follow whilst taking care of their son Brahm, such as 'Don't forget to feed him'. Greta is baffled, of course, but like all horror characters, she ignores her better judgement and stays (and she really needs the money). The parents are soon off away on their holiday, Mrs. Heelshire whispers 'I'm so sorry' whilst leaving, it is beyond ominous. 

So all is fine at first, Greta enjoys a glass of wine, ignoring the doll. Then, as the days turn, more and more strange things begin to happen, Greta seeks help from the grocery man Malcolm - but can he save her from the evil within the house? First off, the film is shot well and the setting is very creepy. The mood of isolation never lets up either, it creates an series atmosphere very well. Cohan as well, hold her own in this film, her chops have been earned from the Walking Dead and she creates a believable, likeable character who we certainly route for. 

The premise is pretty clever, it has the occasional cliche but mostly it feels original, and the ending is definitely a turn from the norm. The doll Brahms is seriously unsettling, the camera panning onto his face and lingering is honestly some of the scariest moments! Of course, it also brings alot of humour with how absurd it all is, but I enjoyed the fact it didn't take itself too seriously as a film. 

Would Greta really stay in the house after things start turning sour? My main other issue is the final twist, I can't help but feel that if it didn't happen and that the main threat had remained paranormal that it would have been scarier and more climatic. Overall though, this is a creepy, decently acted little horror with a hilarious and unsettling villain in the form of an inanimate object. 6/10