In 2016 The Boy was released and it’s still streaming on Netflix. Far from being a terrible movie, I enjoyed this bent version of a possession movie. Now The Boy 2 titled ‘Brahms: The Boy II’ which was released in February 2020 continues the story and tries to add some flair. Firstly though, let’s talk about the original film. This review contains a hidden spoiler section, at the end.
The Boy 2016
The origin story sets off when an American nanny is shocked that her new English family’s son is a life-sized doll. I know right? Thinking the job is more a joke than serious work, the list of strict rules is tossed aside. When disturbing events make her believe that the doll is really alive, she questions everything she thinks.
The Boy Movie Released?
- Released: January 2016 with a budget of just $8 million. It grossed approximately $68 million worldwide.
- Cast includes Lauren Cohen (Maggie from The Walking Dead), Rupert Evans (Hellboy), James Russell, Ben Robson (Animal Kingdom), and Jim Norton (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets).
- Genre: Horror | Mystery | Thriller
Rules in The Boy and Brahms
1. No boyfriends
2. Dress him each morning
3. Kiss him goodnight
4. Never leave him alone
5. Never go in the attic
6. Help with studies
The Boy Movie
I have a thing for stories with scary dolls. So while some may yawn at the oversaturated premise, I was again excited. I was also excited about The Conjuring (2013), Annabelle (2014), and The Prodigy, but don’t hold that against me.
That aside, this movie is unique amongst the sea of haunted, cursed, or possessed puppets that normally feature in horror films. The Boy is all about a poor old elderly couple who lost their son in a fire and so, replaced him with a life-sized doll called Brahms. Greta is sourced and hired to take care of Brahms. They not only show her around the massive estate but instead leave a long list of rules to follow.
The setup for this film gave me the creeps. Yes, I like these types of films, but it’s mostly because I had a toy clown doll as a kid and then I saw Poltergeist. It sat on a shelf in my room and its long striped legs would swing just a little in the dark. The size of the doll in The Boy, combined with the creepiness of the house and the lighting in some scenes was enough to make the hairs on my arms stand up.
Laura Cohen, as Greta, is fantastic in everything just quietly, and I loved her in this. When Greta eventually sees enough small but odd things start to happen, she slowly begins to play ball. The absurdness of the rules is suddenly outweighed by a tiny niggle. What if the doll is somehow alive?
What Happened At the End of The Boy?
The story gives just enough information to keep you on your toes and keep you wondering simultaneously after the closing credits. It’s that balance, for me, that lifted this film from average at best to pretty darn good. So many films with sharp turns fail to tidy up the loose ends at the end. I think this nailed that. Say what you will, many have with regard to the somewhat off-beat story. I liked it. Scroll down for a hidden spoiler section and further review The Boy.
The Boy 2016 is rated
4 kisses for Brahms out of 5
The Boy Full Movie Trailer
Director of THE Boy 2016 and The Boy: Brahms 2020
William Brent Bell. He is best known for The Devil Inside (2012) and has some projects in script form in play.
Boy Brahms Spoiler Review + Explanation
If you had a few questions then perhaps this will shed some light. Maybe you took a bathroom break or had a snogging session and missed something.
Boy Brahms Spoiler Review + Explanation
- Why did Mr. and Mrs. Heelshire kill themselves?
- Brahms died in a fire at 8 years old. Before this, a girl of the same age was found in the forest with her skull crushed. One theory would be that his parents knew Brahms had killed the girl and set the fire themselves, given their penchant for suicide. Having failed at killing them all, guilt forces them to stay in the house but now have to keep Brahms hidden. As they age, they realize they can find someone else to take over their responsibility by using the doll.
- Why does Greta stay after she finds out the truth?
- Greta understands the pain of losing a child and although she learns the truth, she feels obligated to look after him. Until Brahms attacked her, she may have stayed on as a new mother to him (not a mate). Brahms will have to recover and find someone else to lure in under the pretense of the doll is alive.
Sequel News for The Boy
Brahms: The Boy II was released in 2020 and began filming on February 4th, 2019.
The Boy sequel cast includes Katie Holmes, Ralph Ineson, Owain Yeoman, and Christopher Convery.
Directed by William Brent Bell, he’s known best for The Devil Inside (2012) and Wer (2013.) Both are particularly good films so it’s best to assume the sequel might actually be good.
The sequel for The Boy movie doesn’t include a Brahms doll, but it’s creepy and you can put it on your fridge AND use it as a finger puppet.
The Boy
Director: William Brent Bell
Date Created: 2020-02-19 21:03
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