The Boy Behind the Door

Name: The Boy Behind the Door
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Horror
Released: July 29, 2021
Duration: 88 min
Rating: 65
Cast: Alfredo Tavares, Anna B. Shaffer, Ezra Dewey, Kristin Bauer, Lonnie Chavis

2021

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 6 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 15 Ratings

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3.9

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3.9	Your Score
3.9	User Score Generally unfavorable reviews based on 15 Ratings

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The Boy Behind The Door

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Movie Details & Credits

Shudder | Release Date (Streaming): July 29, 2021 | Not Rated

Starring: Alfredo Tavares, Anna B. Shaffer, Ezra Dewey, Kristin Bauer, Lonnie Chavis, Micah A. Hauptman, Rich Ceraulo, Scott Michael Foster

Summary: After Bobby and his best friend Kevin are kidnapped and taken to a strange house in the middle of nowhere, Bobby manages to escape. But as he starts to make a break for it, he hears Kevin's screams for help and realizes he can't leave his friend behind.

Director: David Charbonier and Justin Powell

Genre(s): Mystery, Thriller, Horror

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 88 min

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Critic Reviews

Lex Briscuso

Jul 29, 2021

The power of friendship is what keeps the heart of this film pumping fresh blood until the very end. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Christy Lemire

Jul 29, 2021

While The Boy Behind the Door runs out of steam a bit in the third act, it’s mostly a tight, well-paced thriller with terrific central performances from a couple of young actors with bright futures ahead of them—once they get out of here, that is. Read full review

Dennis Harvey

Jul 28, 2021

It’s another effective use of a simple premise and modest means to create a nicely nerve-jangling thriller. Read full review

The Guardian Phil Hoad

Jul 26, 2021

In the end this is a fundamentally genre-subservient film, staying within the safe lines that absolves it from getting close to the true horrors it hints at. Read full review

Elisabeth Vincentelli

Jul 29, 2021

Charbonier and Powell, themselves childhood friends from Detroit, focus on the boys’ allegiance to each other with an unwavering focus. This intent minimalism is also why the movie does not transcend its virtuosic, almost abstractly taut storytelling. Read full review

John Anderson

Jul 29, 2021

The Boy Behind the Door is an underwritten movie and an underpopulated one, though missing people are less of a handicap to the narrative than missing information. Read full review

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User Reviews

anon973

Nov 14, 2021

Other than starting out a very slow and a few cringe moments this is a really good disturbing movie.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Panchogul

Aug 24, 2021

Empieza muy bien, pero en el tramo final comienza a decaer de manera inminente, además, quedan muchas cosas en el tintero que vuelven la historia y sobre todo el final como algo genérico sin gracia.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

JLuis_001

Aug 4, 2021

The tension is good and the suspense is enough to make it work to some extent, because it needs a lot, I'm telling you, a lot from you as a viewer, for you to believe all the situations from which these children escape.
I mean, the way one of the kids kills one of their abductors is justThe tension is good and the suspense is enough to make it work to some extent, because it needs a lot, I'm telling you, a lot from you as a viewer, for you to believe all the situations from which these children escape.
I mean, the way one of the kids kills one of their abductors is just laughable.

It's a movie, I know, it doesn't have to be realistic by any means, but the truth is that you get to a point where it's just ridiculous.
That made me subtract several points from it.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Prima2339

Aug 7, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie doesn't deserve more than 1 star in my opinion. It was dreadful!!
It was like watching a 70's B movie in the year 2021. Seriously!

The child actors displayed their lack of experience, but the HORRIBLE SCRIPT definitely ruined any future acting careers for both.

Ex... The child finally frees himself from the locked car trunk BUT instead of escaping and running for help,
the script has the child sneak into the house to kill both of his captors! REALLY???

Ex....a police officer finally shows up ALONE to followup on a 911 call. He enters the house ALONE, without first calling for backup or even notifying dispatch! REALLY??

Ex... The script has Police arrive secretly without a sound. (no sirens, no "stop or I'll shoot") COME ON!???

I have never taken the time ever before, to write a review of a movie, but this movie was by far the worst I have seen in decades!! This has to be said!
Extremely irritating to watch and a complete waste of time!!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

reactuality

Aug 25, 2021

Either we're all getting dumber or someone's paying off critics here.

This movie was painfully, woefully dumb. Lazy writing, ridiculous plot with even more ridiculous loop holes and confusing, insulting character & narrative choices. I was so excited to screen this based off all the hype,Either we're all getting dumber or someone's paying off critics here.

This movie was painfully, woefully dumb. Lazy writing, ridiculous plot with even more ridiculous loop holes and confusing, insulting character & narrative choices. I was so excited to screen this based off all the hype, and walked away wondering when the last time was I'd seen such a seriously weak film.
Whatever is going on here with current critical reviews, I'm not sure, but buyer beware. Unless your thing is to rejoice in the concept of being proudly offended by a topic that's literally been around for centuries - which isn't even taken on here with any real sense of bravery or understanding by the writers - or the theme of best friends till the end in a film can erase any & all of your general common sense and expectations of quality, reality, detail and respect to your intelligence, then I'd highly recommend passing this one up.

As a true lover of all genres of film, again, just wow. What a total bomb this was, not to mention a waste of time.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Swaygawd

Aug 28, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Predictable, dumb, lazy and pointless. This kid could have rescued him and his friend early on but nooooo he wants to do any and everything but that! Escaped!!! And went back!! Killed his kidnapper or so we thought ... Cleaned up a body before the dead man's psycho **** of a wife comes downstairs ... This kid had this old hoe beat so many times and she almost killed both those lil bastards in the end! Hate this movie!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

jamjax

Oct 24, 2021

I was embarrassed to have recommended this this, based on its RT ratings, to my family last night. Within seconds, I realized it had a "shot on video" vibe to it, but we stuck with it thinking the story was going to carry it. Well, the acting from Bobby and "the Creep" was amateurish and theI was embarrassed to have recommended this this, based on its RT ratings, to my family last night. Within seconds, I realized it had a "shot on video" vibe to it, but we stuck with it thinking the story was going to carry it. Well, the acting from Bobby and "the Creep" was amateurish and the plot was silly. The protagonist seemed incapable of making helpful decisions, to the point that I wondered if he was supposed to be mentally feeble. I'm still unsure. The antagonists seemed to have a shared impairment that limited their peripheral vision, which was convenient for Bobby, since his trademark move was to peep conspicuously around corners. The cinematography and audio were the only elements that struck me as adequate. It's as if this were a submission for a film competition at a middle school, where somehow, a professional set crew were hired, but where this entry would still have come in third place. I can't understand the high ratings for this picture. Don't waste your time.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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