Children can be a handful. There are those who dream of being a parent their entire life, while others could never imagine the cries of a child filling their hallways. Some of us can only handle them in small spurts. That’s personally where I stand. While others of us don’t want to be around them at all. We were all children once. I feel like the mixed opinions on the feeling is alright to have. To point back to my aforementioned point, children take a great deal of talent and care to handle. 

For the Russian horror movie, Evil Boy, we are introduced to parents (Elena Lyadova, Vladimire Vdodvuchenkov) who lost their son at the tender age of six when he goes missing. Three years later, they decide to adopt another son after the proper period of grief has passed. It is here that they discover they could have gotten a bit more than they bargained for. I’m not even sure where to begin with this movie. It has a slow burn approach to its material, which is both a blessing and a curse. If you haven’t guessed by the title and the synopsis - it’s no stranger that this kid is clearly not of this world. The way they explain how he is the way he is actually a fascinating approach, making for a clever ending and final act to an otherwise subpar cinematic viewing.

The performances from Lyadova and Vdodvuchenkov are nothing special. They are mediocre performances in an underwhelming movie. Even their performances could not save this. I feel like a big portion of what makes this film such a tragedy is that the narrative waits too long. It attempts to set up one mystery and when that turns out to be a bust, it sets up another. When we first are introduced to the feral orphan, played by Sevastian Bugaev, we are led to believe he is traumatized for some mysterious reason. Okay, that’s fine because it continues to wrap the film in realism. It will continue that tone up until roughly the second act. That’s when the issues with the movie begin. 

Another major issue with this movie is the parental relations with Bugaev. The first half of the movie the father fears him. Then it randomly shifts to the mother fearing him. It’s just one example of the sloppiness that’s littered throughout. Honestly, had this movie taken some of the mystery threads of its final act and brought them in sooner. Viewers could be welcoming a pleasantly scary foreign film with an enticing plot. Unfortunately we get a lot of noise void of any purpose. Evil Boy presents an intriguing plot but the execution of said plot is painfully boring, leaving the only scary thing about this movie to the atrocious CGI. Think 1995’s Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers the Movie. Yeah, that bad.

Overall, Evil Boy is a boring exercise in not only foreign cinema but the horror genre as well. A film presented in realism with its use of grief quickly extends into the fantastical with its otherworldly elements. The performances are mediocre, the scares are underwhelming and the mystery around them is offered up too late in the movie. This movie is painfully boring. I will award it points for creative - even if it only comes in the last few bits of the movie.

RORSCHACH RATING:

If you or someone you know is reading this right now and you are struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message or tweet to us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!

Victims and Villains is written Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey (and produced by), Caless Davis, Dan Rockwood, & Brandon Miller. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. Evil Boy is property of Well Go Entertainment and Sony. We do not own nor claim any rights. Evil Boy is available on Digital and DVD September 8th. This post was edited by Cam Smith.

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