The Boy
Chiller Films | Release Date: August 14, 2015 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
45
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 8 Critic Reviews
Positive:
1
Mixed:
6
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
IndieWireEric KohnAug 19, 2015
The scariest aspect of The Boy is the extent to which Macneill makes it possible to sympathize with the troubled protagonist — even as its haunting final shot hints at the horrors yet to come. Read full review
58
Entertainment WeeklyDevan CogganAug 19, 2015
The film’s biggest flaw is that there’s never any doubt about where Ted is going to end up. Read full review
50
The New York TimesAndy WebsterAug 20, 2015
The Boy, despite remarkable performances and gorgeous imagery, does not sufficiently flesh out its subject. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineChuck BowenAug 18, 2015
Craig William Macneill's film is a sporadically frightening slow burn with a fatally overlong fuse. Read full review
42
The PlaylistCharlie SchmidlinAug 20, 2015
The seeds of a sequel sprout in the film’s lasting final shot, but perhaps with a look further into Ted’s future, a narrative to match the mood will emerge as well. Read full review
40
The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckAug 20, 2015
Featuring long stretches in which little is said or happens, the film never quite burrows into the viewer's skin in the way in which it was obviously intended. Read full review
40
Village VoiceSherilyn ConnellyAug 20, 2015
Craig William Macneill's The Boy tries so hard to be ominous that it nearly strains itself in the process. Read full review
30
VarietyDennis HarveyAug 20, 2015
So little happens in The Boy, and so little suspense is effectively built around its central figure, that by the time things finally do heat up the movie has flatlined too completely for us to care. Read full review
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