“Stray” Movie aka Evil Boy 2019

Evil Boy aka Stray movie is a 2019 horror feature film. Adopted from Russia in an orphanage, Vanya is a feral wild child taken in by Polina and Igor. Polina and Igor’s son has been missing for more than three years. To dull the pain they decide a replacement is in order. First things first and that is that if you are looking for common sense and a straightforward narrative you are in the wrong place. From the opening scenes, there is nothing remotely logical about anything that happens in Stray. The original Russian title for this film is Tvar.

Despite a less demanding storyline, many might find it challenging not to scoff at much that happens. Stray is a great idea in its bare form. That is to say, without the inane and inconsistent characters, infantile parenting decisions, and the basis for the setup, the idea of what the boys ‘evil‘ consists of could have made a good film.

There are a few similar movies floating around with common themes. Camera work will remind you of The Orphanage, in places. Evil Boy has some added shady CGI inclusion but is nonetheless well shot. Colin Minihan’s Z (2019) has some parenting choices in the same vein. Both consist of waving away behaviors that would make an ordinary parent run for the hills. In Evil Boy, these behaviors are so far over the top, that it’s hard to maintain even the suspension of realism to enjoy it.

Evil Boy Adopted In Russia By Dumb People

Vanya is played by a very talented Sevastian Bugaev. He comes to Igor and Polina even though he’s not specifically available for adoption. He is for all intents and purposes feral, doesn’t speak, and growls at just about anyone looking his way. Like finding a stray animal in an alley behind a bar, Polina has an instant report with this small zombie-like kid. She tries to convince service officers to let them take him home. After being refused, he simply follows them and is picked up along the roadside.

Loose ends are tidied haphazardly throughout the whole film in “Stray”. Igor’s friend and fellow colleague consistently tell him, that all is not lost as he watches this strange boy move about on all fours. Service officers who attend their home looking for Vanya when he initially goes missing tell Igor he is not going to report him and leave him to it. Even the head nun from the orphanage who knows the whole story occasionally turns up in a creepy fashion in the distance but never centers her conviction to remove him.

Written and directed by Olga Gorodetskaya from a story by Anna Starobinets, a famed Russian horror writer. The Stray movie stars Elena Lyadova, Vladimir Vdovichenkov, Sevastian Bugaev, and Yan Runov. It’s available as a rental or to buy on DVD, digital and Blu-Ray. Acquired as a screener for Grimmfest Film Festival held in 2020 as a virtual event. Mother of Movies was part of the press for the festival.

Grief Zombies Can Kill Your Pets

What does stay with you is the final quarter. The big reveal is a unique and interesting spin on the generic possession or supernatural evil creepy kid movie. I enjoyed the performances from the cast and can only blame the dialogue they were given for disapproval from other reviewers I have seen.

Stray Release Date

The Stray movie premiered at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival in 2019. It then went to Blu-ray and DVD in 2020. Stray aka Evil Boy is streaming in the USA for free on TubiTV as well as Prime Video and Plex.

Stray VS Feral in the Stray Film Trailer