The Boy, directed by William Brent Bell, unfolds like most typical horror fare. Spooky old house. Check. Pretty young heroine. Check. Mysterious eccentrics with a doll for a child. And there’s the hook. Now, before you wonder how another in a long line of evil doll movies could be original, watch the trailer and make your decision.
The movie stars AMC’s The Walking Dead star Lauren Cohan as Greta, a put-upon nanny to a strange couple who treat a life-sized replica doll of their deceased son as if it is alive. Reluctantly abiding by the strange request that she do the same, Greta soon suspects that there is something more sinister at play. Plagued by sudden and strange goings-on in the house, it leads the young woman to question if the doll may be to blame.
Seemingly structured similarly to the tense jump scare horror films of yesteryear, The Boy, to its benefit, appears to work effectively being just that — a tense scare flick. Taking an old trope and re-imagining the scenario is nothing new as long as the twist is a strong one. The Twilight Zone episode Living Doll brought the idea of a killer doll to life back in 1963, making way for films such as the eerily campy Child’s Play and most recently Annabelle.
At the end of the day, as refashioned a concept as a lifeless toy turning on its owners has been, it’s still creepy as hell. So, turn down the lights, turn up the volume and give the preview for The Boy a watch. Because who needs to sleep tonight? Right?
Releases January 22, 2016
