There are multiple iconic horror films that are built off the backs of great relationships. If you look at the landmark film Halloween (1978), and we are given a terrific dynamic with characters Laurie, Annie, and Lynda. John Carpenter does such a masterwork with these ladies that by the time it comes for the climax of Laurie seeing firsthand the fate of her friends, it hits harder as a viewer. We feel every ounce of pain and torment that Laurie feels. Then if you look towards Stephen King hallmarks like IT or Stand by Me, you find books and films which are equally compelling and emotionally investing due to the friendships at their core. In the former, we have the “losers club”: a group of friends who are united together with the shared common thread of being picked on by bullies, while the latter has a shared experience of trauma by its characters.
Even more recent entries that we are seeing on the indie circuit share this DNA. Summer of ‘84 is a terrific example of this. Here you have a core group of friends, similar to the Losers club, who are anxious to catch the neighborhood’s serial killer. Even more recently, Netflix has given us Fear Street 1994. Sure, the movie is great for its horror elements. However it’s the core relationship of Deena and her friends that elevate the film to new heights, all while establishing a terrific emotional core for the viewers. Comedy is another genre that is filled with iconic relationships. Look at films like Friday, Step Brothers, Abbott and Costello, and even The Marx Brothers, just to name a few.
Relationships like these welcome the viewer in to feel connected and invested. But what happens when a film fails to establish a relationship? Characters just feel as though they are surgically attached together. This answer comes to us by way of The Boy Behind the Door. The film depicts a pair of friends (Ezra Dewey, Lonnie Chavis) who get kidnapped and attempt a daring escape from their captor. Boy feels choked by its 88 minute runtime honestly. While the film is setting up the true terror that befalls children every day, it fails to establish the characters prior to the kidnapping. From its opening frames, it starts off with an absolute juggernaut of a jaw dropping moment. However, the film fails to ever hit that same high note again. A large portion of that comes from its overuse of underdeveloped characters.
That’s not to say that Dewey or Chavis deliver terrible performances. On the contrary, they do the absolute best with what they are given. Chavis proved himself more than capable of handling dramatic roles earlier this year in The Water Man. He continues that same caliber of deliverance here in Boy. Same goes for Dewey, a relative newcomer compared to Chavis. The movie hinges on the performances of these young actors and they more than carry the movie. The captor is a surprising twist when their identity is revealed towards the end of its second act. Even that actor delivers an engrossing performance as the absolute worst of what society has to offer. What holds Boy back from being great is everything else.
The film is attempting to tackle truly terrifying themes such as kidnapping and human trafficking. I would imagine it is every parent's worst nightmare to have one or both of these scenarios to happen to their children. Boy never reaches that level of darkness, opting to infer rather than to just jump right into the subject matter and take the audience on a truly terrifying time. Had the film taken this approach, the performance and its narrative would have been on par with one another. Instead we are left with a lackluster thriller that just happens to have terrific performances from its cast. The cinematography really helps to suggest that the film has a dark core. Julian Estrada proves himself to be a master of his craft with his use of shadows and light. Estrada’s cinematography helps to establish a grit within the film that drives audiences to the edge of their seat, even if the narrative fails to do so.
Overall, The Boy Behind the Door has thrilling performances but fails to deliver an exhilarating story. Boy is marvelously paced and shot. Unfortunately, it lacks the boldness to tell its story properly and deliver on its promise of fear. There is plenty about the movie to make you anxious, but it largely relies on visuals in order to do it. The Boy Behind the Door has top caliber performances and visuals, but that’s about all it offers.
RORSCHACH RATING: 2.5 / 5
Mental Health Moment: Just a mild spoiler for the film here, however it is worth it for the ensuing conversation. There is a moment in the film where Chavis’ character manages to break free. He begins to make a run for it, but is suddenly stopped when he hears the cries of Dewey. He quickly circles back to the home to rescue his friend. That’s true friendship right there. When you have every reason to go free and yet circle back around for community. Having friends like that makes the difference when it comes to the conversation of mental health. I wanted to ask you, the reader: do you have someone like that in your own life? If not, what does friendship look like in your life?
It might sound elementary but how you answer that could make the difference in your own life when it comes to mental health. To clarify, I want to stress that I’m not saying a friend will solve all your mental health problems or that you should stop seeking medical advice or stop taking medicine, but rather that such friends can help you in the long run as an extension of therapy. Plus we were created to be communicative. It’s in our DNA to have people alongside us to do life.
If you or someone you know is reading this right now and struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message, or tweet at 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 (and produced) by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey and others, and edited by Cam Smith. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. The Boy Behind the Door is property of Shudder. We do not own nor claim any rights.
You can now support us on Patreon. Help us get mental health resources into schools and get exclusive content at the same time. Click here to join today!